


Just Until

by NekokoaFanfiction



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, F/M, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I can't believe how much of a horrible person I am for doing this to baby Keith, Love, Love Triangles, Romance, Sex, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Shiro x Reader x Keith, Slow Burn, Slow burn kind of at least for Shiro lol, Soulmates, You and Keith are together but Shiro's your true man, oh noes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-05-01 08:50:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 56,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14516814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NekokoaFanfiction/pseuds/NekokoaFanfiction
Summary: Desperate for your love, Keith promised you that your relationship will only last until you find your soulmate, but will Keith stay true to his word when your soulmate happens to be Shiro?Keith x Reader x Shiro (Keith x Reader, Eventually Shiro x Reader)Genre: Romance, Angst, Love Triangle





	1. The Mark

**Chapter I: The Mark**

 

“Just until you find your soulmate.” You remembered the passionate gaze he held as he looked into your eyes. The feel of his hands tightly holding onto your forearms as his thumb caressed your skin. He stood only a few inches away, your chests barely touching, and your heart pounding frantically. You questioned if it was nerves or romantic feelings for the boy, but you were aware that the _mark_ tattooed on your inner thighs held no reaction to him at all but still, your heart pounded, and your cheeks flushed. His touch exhibited a warmth that you felt would keep you safe in the harsh winters and his eyes carried the weight of passion and love the moment he laid them upon you. But still, the _mark_ remained unresponsive and he too was aware his _mark_ was the same result. But still, he wanted you.

“Keith…”

“Just until…” He repeated softly, the hands on your arms tightening as his head was slightly down. He looked desperate. You never saw Keith like this for as long as you known him. The two of you met while Keith was on a solo mission on the planet you stayed in and you helped him when he was in trouble and kept him hidden while he was being pursued. There was not much a human studies teacher, teaching otherworldly life forms can do when a Voltron Paladin stumbled in your house. Ever since that day, the two of you became friends and later for Keith, he was hoping to be more. As stubborn as he was, he wouldn’t let a mark stop him from desiring you and, hopefully, making you his girl.

The desperateness with a slight flash of fear reached his eyes as he waited for your next response. You looked away from him, your thoughts in a bundled mess as confusion settled in your thumping heart. You did like Keith but… he wasn’t your soulmate. But then why was your body reacting to him like this? Maybe he was your soulmate? Was something just wrong with both of your marks? Various questions flew through your mind with no sensible answers to them. You didn’t know the right answer to Keith’s request, but you knew how your body was reacting to him wasn’t a lie even if your mark wasn’t responding to him. Your eyes returned to meet with his and you began to nod your head. The expression Keith held melted all at once.

“Okay.” You bit your lip and nodded. You heard a sigh from Keith as if he was holding his breath the whole time. You saw a smile grow on his face as he moved closer. You found his arms around your shoulders as your head moved as much as it could to rest on the crook of his neck. Your chests were completely touching, and Keith let out another heavy relieved sigh as if he couldn’t believe you were in his arms. In this moment, you felt his chest heaved and his heart thump against yours and you placed your arms around him to complete the hug. Keith was ecstatic, and you could tell by the way he held you so tightly. You even felt one of his hands holding the back of your head as your hair tangled between his fingers. You felt his lips brush the side of your head and you couldn’t deny the blush that lit up your cheeks. You had no idea whether your choice was right or not but currently, in this moment, you didn’t care. The only thing you cared about was how happy you felt being in Keith’s arms.


	2. Long Distance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters are pretty short so that I can update regularly! Enjoy!

**Chapter II: Long Distance**

 

Since the day you said “Okay,” it’s been a couple of months and Keith and you have been a couple and you had to admit, your relationship hasn’t changed too much. Since Keith was a Paladin of Voltron, he had duties to attend to as usual. So, you hardly got to see him in person. The way you guys communicate is through video logs and sometimes Keith even video calls you from the castle’s communicator but of course, any interruptions from the other Paladins leads to Keith suddenly hanging up. Keith told you he hasn’t told the other Paladins about you or his relationship with you. He said he doesn’t want to place any distractions on his team members and because it’s none of their business. But he admitted they are getting a little suspicious with the way he’s been acting.

 _“Hey Keith! How are you doing? I got your video log. Are you busy doing Paladin stuff? I hope to hear more stories about it when you come visit.”_ When Keith was sitting alone in his room, he pressed the play button and your face suddenly appeared in a holographic form projecting from his communicator. Keith was so thankful to Pidge for making this device. He didn’t know how you guys were going to communicate after he left you and old-fashioned letters didn’t seem to travel from universe to universe. Keith asked Pidge for an extra communicator and Pidge, suspiciously but willingly, gave him one and thankfully, didn’t questioned him.

 _“But the children are doing fine. I’m teaching them about the Earth’s weather. They were really interested in Antarctica because they never saw snow before._ ” You giggled, and it made Keith’s heart melt. It brought a soft smile to his face as he rested his face against the knuckles of his hand and intently watched your video message. He noticed the background of the video and figured you were in your bedroom. He knew that bed from anywhere as the two of you countlessly shared it. Keith often thought back to the moments he shared in that bed with you and how he missed feeling you against his skin and, how you looked when you slept soundly beside him and, how you looked when you woke up in the mornings. He just missed you a lot. He never knew how lonely it was to be in a room by himself until he started dating you.

 _“Other than that, the children really miss you. They keep asking for you everyday! And you know… I also miss you too.”_ Now that made a fire burn underneath Keith’s cheek. Your cheeks also mirrored his and your voice was as soft as ever when you said it. Oh my, Keith thought you looked so cute. 

 _“Before I end the video log, Keith, there’s something important I have to tell you—”_ A knock came from Keith’s door and he hit the paused button so fast and hid the communicator under his pillow. He couldn’t help but think another meeting was about to start and someone was coming to tell him. When he opened his door, his leader, Shiro was standing in front of him with a worried look on his features, his brows were more furrowed than usual.

“Shiro…? What’s up?” It wasn’t strange for Keith to get a visit from Shiro occasionally, but when he’s wore a look like that, Keith grew worried himself.

“Keith, is everything okay?”

“Huh?” Keith blinked.

“I’m asking if everything’s okay.” 

“Y-yeah, everything’s fine. Why you’re asking?”

Shiro folded his arms across his chest and let out a soft sigh. “Well, the team and I feel that you might be going through something. We’re all worried about you, Keith.”

“I’m fine, Shiro. There’s nothing you guys have to worry about.” Keith’s voice came out firm. There really wasn’t anything they should be worried about. Was he really acting all that different? Shiro knew there was nothing more he could say about the situation. If Keith didn’t want to share, there was nothing he could do to force him. Keith found Shiro’s hand upon his shoulder and the frown he held was replaced with a soft smile.

“Just know we’re here for you, Keith. Whatever is going through your mind, we’re always here to talk. Don’t be afraid to talk to anyone especially me. We’re family, right?" 

Keith felt a little uneasy being under that smile that he had to look away for a moment. He almost felt a little guilty for being so secretive to his teammates especially to Shiro, but he wasn’t ready to talk about you to them yet.

“I know.” Keith nodded, his eyes returning to the man he greatly respected as a soft smile was on his face. “When the time comes, I’ll let you guys know.”

“Take you time.” Shiro’s gentle smile remained as he announced that dinner would be ready in five minutes before leaving Keith to himself. Keith sighed softly and returned to his bedside to continue your video log. He rewind a bit and pressed play. 

_“Before I end the video log, Keith, there’s something important I have to tell you. Don’t get too worried now but there are rumors going on around here. Rumors that the Galrans will come to invade us soon. I don’t know if it’s worth looking up, but we are one of the few planets that aren’t under Galra control… it’s only a matter of time. So far, the people here think it’s unlikely, but anything is possible. I’ll keep you posted if I hear of anything else. Keith, I love you. Stay safe.”_

Your video log ended and even though you told Keith to not worry, he couldn’t help but worry. Keith began recording his video log and sending it before going off to dinner. He’ll definitely let the Paladins know about the information he received.


	3. Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little note: If you see ____, it's just means you have to say your name or whatever you want to call yourself in the story.

**Chapter III: Fear**  

You felt a buzz within your pants pocket and you figured Keith’s video log had arrived. It only takes about a day to arrive, depending on how far they were from the planet. You just finished dismissing your students from the class, so you didn’t hesitate to dive into his log. You sat on your desk and with a pleasing smile, you hit the play button.

 _“Ummm…”_ And there was Keith’s face, projecting from your communicator. He was sitting in his room as usual, his surroundings dark except for the lamp to his side illuminating his facial features. He paused a bit before continuing. Keith was pretty awkward in his video logs, you only assumed it was because he wasn’t used to recording himself. _“Hi—Hey, ____. How are you? I’m doing fine. And sure, I’ll tell you more about our missions. We just finished one actually and now Shiro’s calling me for dinner. So, I have to make this one short. About the rumors, I’ll definitely tell Shiro about this. Any threats about a Galran invasion is serious and… I wish I can head over there now, to be honest. I hope it’s just a rumor. I’ll let you know our plans. And… uh.”_ He suddenly got quiet. You noticed his cheeks deepened in red, but it was hard to tell with the illumination of his lamp that softly hit them. He cleared his throat a bit before bringing his hand to slightly cover his mouth. He glanced back and forth at the screen as you waited for his next words. _“I miss you and love you too…”_ You barely heard the grumble, but it was enough to make your heart soar. It was his last words before he clumsily ended the video. 

You wanted to reply right away but it wouldn’t be appropriate to record here in the classroom. You figured you’ll wait until you get home which you greatly anticipated. While the students were away for lunch, your mind drifted off to your relationship with Keith. As much as you loved Keith very dearly, you couldn’t help but think of what would happen if either one of you found your soulmate. Strangely, with the way you and Keith met, why wouldn’t he be your soulmate? You guys are literally from the same planet and you met on a planet millions of miles away from Earth. It was strange. You wanted to believe your mark was just busted. Maybe it didn’t work outside of Earth. Maybe Keith was actually your soulmate. It made you calmer thinking that way instead of thinking you’re indirectly cheating on your destined one. If Keith was here, he would tell you not to worry about that and to live in the now. Keith being here always calmed you down. He was not only a lover, but your best friend and you held him deep in your heart. You believed that even if you did find your soulmate, your love for Keith wouldn’t disappear and you hope it was the same for Keith. 

You sighed softly, ever since Keith left, it felt that was all you ever did.

“Miss ____!” You jumped to Miss Ceto, the sudden teacher that barged into your classroom. Her face was coated in stress as her eyes held absolute fear in them. She struggled with her next words.

“Th—The Galra…!” 

That was all she had to say to instill the fear within you.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update today!


	4. Incoming

**Chapter IV: Incoming**

Its been three days and Keith hasn’t heard a single word from you and he was worried sick, not only that, but irritable as well. The rest of the Paladins didn’t have a clue as to why Keith’s personality suddenly changed. He was more distant and stayed in his room most of the time. The Paladins assumed he was mad at something, but little did they know, he was furiously at work with trying to connect with you. He even tried the castle’s communicator, but you weren’t answering at all. You never went this long without contacting him. Was it because you were busy or … worse? 

“The Galra Invasion…” Keith whispered to himself as his tenth attempt to contact you through the castle’s communicator failed. He came to a realization about that rumor and how it might’ve been true after all. The fact that you could be in danger right now…

Keith took off running. 

He ran through the space castle’s halls in a desperate attempt to get to his lion as fast as he could. Any second too late and your life could be in jeopardy and he was not going to let that happen. As he was sprinting through the halls, Shiro and Allura were walking down. They spotted Keith’s frantic running and called out to him, but he dashed through without acknowledging them. The only thing on his mind was you. 

“Keith?!” Shiro’s yell was drowned out by Keith’s determination. Shiro and Allura glanced at each other before chasing after their friend. They followed him into the Red Lion’s hangar and found him climbing into his lion’s mouth.

“Keith, wait!” Before Keith was able to disappear into his lion, Shiro grabbed ahold of his hand and almost as if Keith expected it, he roughly pulled his hand out of his grasp. But strangely, he stood still like the feeling of regret had washed over him.

“Where are you taking the Red Lion?” Allura spoke up, rather calmly but still concerned for her friend. Keith remained quiet except for that frustrated groan that came from him. He didn’t have time for this. 

“What is going on, Keith?” Shiro asked.

“Look,” Keith sighed. “My friend is in trouble. I need to go save he—” A ping sounded off within Keith’s pockets and what he’s been waiting for finally arrived, a new message from you. Keith didn’t care about the questions that were being thrown at him. He dug into his pockets, brought out the communicator, and hit the play button so fast. He wished this was just a normal video of you talking about your teaching or how the kids missed him or how you missed him. He hoped this wasn’t a video about you in danger or about the stupid Galra coming to invade. 

Keith’s fears only increased when a black screen popped up instead of your lovely face. Multiple whispers could be heard then a sound like something exploding in the distance caused them to scream. Keith’s heart stopped when he heard a whimper that belonged to you.

 _“K-Ke…ith…”_ The message was cutting in and out. Wherever you were, it didn’t have good reception. _“The… Gal… here. They came… reception... not good… help. We’re hiding… the school. They might be coming… We don’t know when—”_ You stopped speaking when the people around you began to scream. Light was suddenly poured into the dark room from a door that was busted down, and Keith could now barely see your face. You were looking to the door; the sides of your face were soaked in tears and your eyes were red. Galran soldiers were trickling into the room with guns pointed at the screaming crowd. You quickly turned back to the camera, your eyes desperate and your voice was shaking. _“Keith, I lo—”_ Keith could barely hear you over the screams and the sounds of shots being fired. The video suddenly cuts, and Keith couldn’t move. He was still staring at the dark screen, stunned at what he just witnessed. Shiro was already by his side and Allura rushed to go alert the other Paladins of the emergency message.

“Keith, it’ll be okay.” Shiro tried to reassure him but his voice was muffled to Keith. He was still trying to process what had just happened and no matter what he couldn’t explain how he felt. He couldn’t even come up with a question on the video. He was just in shock. 

Allura didn’t waste any time wormhole-ing the castle closer to where your planet resides. The Paladins were all suited up and ready to deploy. Especially Keith, who was already sitting in his lion, waiting for a word from Shiro. He was rewatching your message, his heart sinking every time he heard the shots go off just before it cuts. He didn’t know what to think or whether you were still alive. He noticed the video’s recording date was three days ago, so he was sure the Galra invaded around the time you saw his last message. 

Keith slammed his fist against his seat’s armrest. He was angry, angry that he didn’t rush over there after your message about the Galra. If only he just rushed out of here, he would’ve been able to save you and stop the Galra. But now, you’re in danger or worse, you’re dead… He didn’t want to think about it.

“Keith,” Keith heard Shiro’s voice coming from his helmet’s communication system. “Are you doing okay?” 

“Yeah, buddy! Don’t sweat, we’ll get there in time and save that planet!” Lance’s energetic voice sounded out.

“Planet _Thetis_ is a water planet, 90% water and 10% land. It’s pretty interesting how the Galra hasn’t touched this planet until now.” Pidge hummed in thought.

“Maybe they found new materials within its ocean?” Hunk suggested.

“Well, whatever it is, the plan is to drive the Galra away. We need to rescue the civilians as well as Keith’s friend. If we can’t drive the Galra away, we’ll have no choice but to evacuate the planet. Keith and Pidge, I’ll leave you with rescuing the civilians and your friend, Keith. The rest of us will try and stop the Galra invasion.” When Shiro spoke of the plan, Keith was relieved to find out he was in charge of looking for you. No matter what role he was in, Keith would be looking for you regardless.

“Thank you, Shiro.” Keith spoke quietly, extremely grateful to Shiro.

“No problem.” Shiro’s voice was so gentle that Keith could feel Shiro’s smile forming on his face. “Everyone know their positions?”

Once the Paladins gave a sign of confirmation, Shiro’s voice roared as loud as a lion. “Okay! Move out!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: The Bunker


	5. The Bunker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

**Chapter V: The Bunker**

 

The place Keith and Pidge first went to check was the school you taught at because that’s where you said you were in your video message. Keith couldn’t believe what the Galra did to this planet. It looked like an absolute war zone. It didn’t look like the beautiful aquamarine theme planet he once saw before. Now its buildings were crumbled, its streets cracked, dead bodies of its civilians were scattered about, some even missing a few limbs or beheaded. Keith couldn’t help but quickly examine the dead as he flew over them with his lion. There was a possibility one of them could’ve been you. Strangely, there was no Galran activity in this area. It could’ve been because Shiro and the others were all luring them away. It wasn’t long before they arrived at the school and it was a crumbled mess. There was no way to enter the school as the material from the building hindered entry from the front door. Keith was now panicking. There was no way anyone could’ve survived in that building as it looked like it collapsed within itself. Anyone inside would’ve been squished by the falling debris.

“Hmm, Keith, you said the video’s connection was bad, right?” Pidge folded her arms in thought. She stared at the collapsed building with doubt. 

“Yeah, it was cutting in and out.”

“Is it possible that there’s another part of the school you don’t know about?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well you know, a basement area or something? Maybe the school has a bunker?” If that was the case, it would explain the terrible connection you had in your video. Was there another place of entry in the school? 

“Let’s continue this on foot.” Keith was determined. He would stop at nothing to find you, dead or alive. Once they landed their lions, Keith rushed out of his cockpit and bolted towards the school. Pidge was annoyed that Keith left her behind, but she was able to catch up with him eventually. She used her helmet’s scanner and was able to find a door that lead under the school and wasn’t being blocked by any debris. Keith bolted behind the school, once again, leaving an annoyed Pidge behind. Keith was able to spot the door and didn’t even hesitate to open it. A flight of stairs leading under the school was found and Keith dived in, with Pidge shortly after. Keith didn’t stop there. As soon as he reached the bottom, he broke out sprinting through the hall. There was only one long hall and it led to a door at the end of it. That had to be where you were.

Keith heard Pidge yelled his name, but it didn’t stop him from trying to reach that door as fast as he could. He hoped you were okay, he hoped you were able to escape, he hoped you didn’t get hurt, he hoped you were safe, and most importantly, he hoped you were _alive_. When he reached the door, he noticed it was strangely bolted back up. In the video, it was busted down by the Galra. Either the Galrans bolted it back up or the survivors inside did. Either way, Keith had to get this door down.

“Keith… you need to… slow down!” Pidge bended over and rested her hands on her knees when she finally caught up to Keith. She was out of breath from all that chasing she had to do.

“Pidge, help me bust down this door.” 

“…what?”

“Just do it.”

Pidge let out a huff. “Just use your wrist blaster. Did you forget you had it?”

Keith actually forgot about his wrist blaster. He hasn’t been thinking straight lately. He didn’t respond to Pidge instead he backed up from the door and shot his wrist blaster at the new bolts. He then kicked the door down with all his might.

What Keith saw in there would be forever unforgettable to him.

It first hit him by the stench. The stench of rotten fish mixed with decaying flesh that blew towards them and poured into the hall. Keith’s gag reflexes started kicking in the moment he smelt it and he covered his nose in retaliation. Even by breathing through his mouth, he still felt like he could smell the horrific stench. Pidge wanted to hurl, she couldn’t handle the smell. She didn’t even want to enter the room because it felt the smell would just increase the deeper you’re in it. 

Keith entered regardless, he began to search along the walls for a light switch as the room was dark just like the video. Once he found it, he flipped it on and froze. Pidge removed her helmet and Keith heard her hurling back in the hallway. It was a horrific sight, indeed. Dozens of bodies in the process of decay was scattered around the room, it was the children and adults of the school. This was where they were staying to protect themselves from the Galra but as shown in your video, the Galra clearly found them. So that must mean… 

No. Keith didn’t believe it. He didn’t believe you were dead. He began searching the room for evidence of your body. He was not going to believe you’re dead until he’s found your body. As Keith looked through the bodies, his heart sunk when he saw the familiar faces of the students from your class. They were mercilessly gunned down by the Galra, several bullet wounds were found all across their bodies and faces. Keith looked away. He bit his lower lip as his hands curled up into shaking fists. He knew how passionate you were about your students; how proud you were of them. You were excited to see them grow up and hopefully take them to visit Earth with you. But now…

Pidge was soon by Keith’s side. As she was done throwing up, she placed her helmet back on her head and made it extend so that it can block all the toxic smell from entering her nostrils. She felt relieved letting it all out in the corner, but it still didn’t take away from the horrible scene in front of her. “Are we too late?” She asked softly, looking to Keith as he was still processing your student’s deaths.

“No.” He simply said before beginning to continue his search. Pidge didn’t know how you looked like but since you were human, it shouldn’t be too hard distinguishing. The people of this planet had fishlike qualities and were able to live under the sea and on land. So, if you didn’t look like a fish, Pidge was confident enough in finding you. They both split up, Keith was handling the left side of the room while Pidge was to the right. They looked through countless of bodies but still they couldn’t find you. Dead faces of children and adults were devastating to look at. Keith thought if only he had come earlier, he could’ve saved them all. They wouldn’t have been in this room, lying dead and pumped with bullets.

“Keith!” Pidge suddenly called him as she dropped to one knee. He rushed over to her and expected to come face to face with your lifeless body. Instead, it was the body of one of the teachers, Miss Ceto, and she was barely hanging on to life. His eyes were half closed, and she stared up at Keith and immediately recognized him. 

“Kei…h…” She was extremely weak. She couldn’t even articulate his name. Keith went down on his knee and held up Miss Ceto’s body and placed her back against the wall. She looked like she was in a daze, her eyes shifting from Keith to Pidge and right back to Keith. She took multiple shots to her chest and back, probably from trying to protect the children from their incoming doom.

“I’m sorry…” Keith choked. “I’m sorry we’re late.” 

With as much strength as she can, Miss Ceto brought her webbed hand to rest on Keith’s. She mustered a weak smile and her next words lifted weights off of Keith’s shoulders.

“She’s alive…” She coughed after, blood sliding from the corner of her mouth.

“Do you know where she is?” Pidge asked right away.

“The Galra… took her. Prisoner. Ship… not too far…” Keith brought his other hand to rest on top of hers. He slowly rubbed it to comfort her. Tears were forming at the corner of her eyes as she stared at him.

“I’m sorry.” He repeated, looking away as his eyebrows furrowed in pain. Miss Ceto remained smiling, he could feel her trying to squeeze his hand as she was too weak to do so.

“Don’t blame… yourself…” Her tears finally fell, and her eyes blanked out. She wasn’t responding anymore, her soul finally departed from her body.

Keith and Pidge both stood up from the ground. She was expecting Keith to just rush out of here after learning about your location, but he stood still, his head slightly down and eyes closed. She knew this must’ve been hard for him. She never knew he had such a connection with these people. She assumed this was where he was always sneaking off to during bed time. She thought maybe the friend he was trying to save was also the one who had the extra communicator she made. 

“Come on, Keith, we have to contact the castle and see if they can scan for any nearby Galra ships.” He didn’t reply but he did follow Pidge out of the area. He hoped to never return here again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was honestly fun writing this chapter. I felt really bad for Keith when I was writing this. lol   
> Next Chapter in a couple of days: Reunited


	6. Reunited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little short chapter but thank you everyone for all the comments!

**Chapter VI: Reunited**

 

“Go left! Now right! Make another right!” Keith was following Pidge’s directions to the T. She was heard from his helmet’s built-in speaker while she was in the captain’s room on the Galra ship you were held in. She downloaded information about the prisoners held here and she found a human woman whose descriptions matched completely with what Keith told her about you. When Keith heard Pidge might’ve found her, he took off. And here he was, running through the halls of the Galran ship to reunite with you. He was relieved that you were still alive but that didn’t mean you weren’t severely hurt. The Galra was known for being brutal.

“Keith, I’m now going to open the doors for all the prisoners. You’re close by! Just another right and then left and you’ll be there!” Just as Pidge said, an alarm rang off and multiple doors of the cells suddenly opened. Many of them ran out without hesitation but some stayed inside in fear of the Galra, but Pidge reassured them over the intercom that all the Galra onboard has been taken out and for them to run to the ship’s front entrance to be saved. As the captives rushed out, Keith glanced at their faces to see if you could also be in the crowd trying to get out. But when he couldn’t spot you, he continued to where your cell should be. He turned right and then made a left like what Pidge told him to do and he came face to face with a dead end and an opened door. He spotted a body on the floor of the cell and instantly he panicked. He rushed over, and the closer he got the more he came to realize that it was you laying on the ground, possibly lifeless. He dived on to his knees and raised you up. There were multiple bruises all over your body, you had a busted lip, and a makeshift bandage of a piece of your shirt wrapped around your leg. Keith placed two of his fingers against the side of your neck. It was faint, but you were still alive, and it was all Keith needed. You were finally safe in his arms.

He hooked his arm underneath your knees and flawlessly picked you up, bridal style. He rushed over to where Pidge and the other captives were, and Pidge was relieved when Keith arrived, and you were in his arms alive. Despite you being covered with the bruises and dirt, she found you to be a very beautiful person. It made her questioned if you and Keith had a deeper relationship than “just friends” but she didn’t dwell on it or more like she couldn’t, her priority was getting everyone to safety. 

Shortly after, a Thetian rescue craft arrived and picked up the remaining survivors. They told Pidge and Keith about evacuating into the ocean where the Galra can never reach them. Since they were a race where they can live on both land and sea, it wouldn’t be hard to adjust until they can reconquer their land.

Keith and Pidge decided to rejoin with the other Paladins and help them fight against the Galra. Keith entered his Lion with you still in his arms and sat in his chair while you were on his lap. He felt the weight of your body against his and he almost couldn’t believe you were here with him. He thought you were gone. Dead. Even though he didn’t want to believe it (it was just his stubborn nature), He honestly thought he would’ve found you dead. Keith placed a hand on your hip, he lightly tapped his head into yours and sighed. He kissed the top of your head and proceeded to rub his cheek against you. He was grateful, so so grateful.


	7. Two Moons

**Chapter VII: Two Moons**

 

“Keith’s been glued to that room ever since we came back.” Hunk took a spoonful of the space food he made. The Paladins were sitting together for dinner like usual except that Keith was clearly missing. As Hunk said, he’s been glued to your room where you’ve been steadily recovering. You still haven’t waken up from your coma, but the doctor said you should be waking up any time soon. Since then, Keith has always been by your side, waiting for your eyes to open.

Pidge shrugged. “Well, what do you expect? That’s his friend, who got severely hurt by the way.” She didn’t mention how hard Keith went to try and get you. It was something the Paladins didn’t need to know. 

“I’m trying to figure out how he got a cutie like her to be his friend…” Lance grumbled, visibly upset. He was poking his food with his spoon while the memory of Keith jumping out of his lion with an absolute babe in his arms, like he was Superman who just saved Lois Lane, clouded his thoughts. And it pissed him off even more.

“They seem really close. Did he ever mention her before?” Allura pondered, trying to think of a moment when Keith spoke of you.

“Remember? Keith’s been acting like a total weirdo these past few months and I bet it has something to do with **her**!” Lance pointed to who knows where. 

“I thought he was just angry at something… like usual.” Hunk mumbled his last words.

“Keith has been weird lately but I’m happy to see his friend is safe.” Shiro commented. 

“Yes! I’m excited to meet this friend of his! If only she would just wake up.” Coran spoke cheerfully but there was a hint of sadness in his voice when he mentioned you were still asleep. The room grew sullen. Without Keith, it felt empty to the Paladins. They hoped when you make a full recovery, Keith would be back to his normal self.

During this moment, Keith was at your bedside, holding your hand as he gazed at your peaceful expression. You looked just like you did when you normally slept, beautiful and quiet, as if you didn’t have a care in the world. Your bruises were barely noticeable now. The wound on your leg that was covered by your makeshift bandage was a gunshot wound you received from the Galra attack. Keith assumed while you were held captive, you tore a piece of your shirt to stop the bleeding. He always knew you were a smart girl. Even amongst the danger and chaos, you still kept your composure to a degree. The doctor they invited said if you didn’t stop the bleeding, you might’ve not made it. And as relieved that made Keith, it still frightened him. You encountered so many life and death situations during those three days. Any wrong move and he could’ve lost you. He still blamed himself for not rushing over there the moment he got your message. Now it wasn’t the case where he lost you, but the case where you lost everything. Keith probably knows you already know about what happened to the school. He was trying to figure out how to bring it up once you’re awake. Would you even want to talk about it?

“Keith?” A voice and a knock came from behind the door and Keith instantly knew it was Shiro. He didn’t allow himself in but continued to speak behind the door. “You should at least get something to eat. You can eat in there if you don’t want to leave her.” Shiro was right. Keith was extremely hungry, but he ignored his hunger pangs just, so he wouldn’t leave your side. But Keith knew you would’ve been angry if you found out he hasn’t eaten anything. You would say something about “taking care of yourself and…” blah blah. Keith didn’t want your first words when you’re awake to be a lecture. 

“Yeah, I’m coming.” He was reluctant but stood up anyway. He opened the door and saw a relieved smile on Shiro as he looked down on him.

“I know you’re staving.” He commented and began to walk with Keith to the dining hall.

“Yeah yeah…” Keith waved him off. He didn’t want to admit it to him, but hell yeah, he was starving. 

“You shouldn’t starve yourself because of your situation. I’m sure your friend wouldn’t be too happy about that.” Damn it. He didn’t want a lecture from Shiro too. Even though his voice was gentle, it still felt like he was lecturing him. He got it. No more starving. 

“I got it.” Keith mumbled.

“Good. Regardless, I’m glad everything turned out all right. We were able to draw the Galra away from Thetis, but we have to keep that planet under constant watch just in case they invade again. I don’t know if your friend would want to go back but…”

“She’s not going back.” Keith suddenly said. Shiro was thrown off a bit by his sudden interruption but shortly recovered. 

“Isn’t that her decision to make?” 

“She’s _not_ going back.” He repeated, leaving no room for questioning. Shiro can understand Keith’s rejection for you going back. He wouldn’t want you to experience the same horrors if the planet was under watch for another Galra attack. He wanted you safe and sound, and close where he can protect you and being on a planet that’s threatened by the Galra will not do that.

It didn’t take long for Keith to grab a plate of food and book it to your room. He didn’t stay to talk to the rest of the team. He did greet them but after that, he went straight back to your room.

“____?” He then saw it, your eyes that flickered from the ceiling to the door that Keith had just walked through. They slightly widened when they spotted him, and you moved to try and sit yourself up.

“Keith…?” Keith couldn’t believe it. You were awake! He rushed over to your side, setting his plate of food on a table, grabbing your shoulders and pushing you back on to your bed.

“Idiot. What are you doing? You can’t get up yet!” Even though his voice was as strict and serious than normal, a smile was plastered on his face, his eyes were as gentle as the two moons that caressed the night sky that you so often used to stare at during your time in Thetis. They were glistening like the stars that twinkle underneath shrouded sheets of the night, soft and benevolent his hands were when they touched your shoulders. It reminded you of the nights you shared together, talking in whispers, skin to skin, his hands roaming your sides and resting on your hips. You were always aware of your mark, wishing it would react to his touches. At this moment, you didn’t care. You were relieved to see his face, relieved to feel his touch. Keith moved closer until his forehead touched yours, his hand leaving your shoulder and trailing until it grasped your hand, your fingers tangled with his.

“Keith.” His heart tingled when you softly called his name. Your lips were curled upward until your cheeks pushed up and your brilliant teeth were shown. Keith missed that smile of yours, seeing it once again warmed his heart up like a furnace.

“I’m so glad you’re safe.” He pressed his lips against yours, once, twice, a third time, once more, and another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for all the Kudos and comments. I'm glad to see you guys like this series! It's a blast to write it and I can't wait to get to all the juicy chapters. <3 Until next chapter!


	8. Introductions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After watching season 6 and seeing Keith being all amazing, it makes me feel so bad to write this series! BUT, the show must go on! Thanks for all the comments and kudos, guys!

**Chapter VIII: Introductions**

 

Since the day you woke up, Keith still hasn’t left your side. He spent morning to night with you and even hesitated to leave you when it was bedtime. Of course, there were days where Keith would have to leave because of his duties as a Paladin of Voltron but once they were over, he was right back in that chair by your bedside, telling you about their missions. You were well enough to be sitting up on your bed and you listened to Keith as he talked about the Paladins and their adventures. It honestly made you want to meet them and you voiced your want to Keith. He was a little reluctant at first but with enough puppy dog eyes from you, he caved in. 

“Everyone.” Keith sighed softly. “This is ____. ____, this is—” 

“Wait! I want to guess!” You suddenly called out as the whole crew was surrounding your bed. They were all a pretty interesting, diverse group of people. You decided to start on the left. 

“Hmmm… you must be Hunk?” You pointed to the person on farthest left. He was pretty tall and a little bit on the heavy side. Black hair, dark eyes, and goofy smile. You held your hand out to shake and he took it.

“Good guess! I’m Hunk, pilot of the Yellow Lion.” 

“Oooh, is that the one with the huge shield and armor?” 

“If you mean the Force Field and the Fortified Armor, then yeah!” He shrugged.

“Wow,” You were honestly amazed and impressed. You looked to the girl next to him, she was much shorter than him and wore glasses. She had a boyish cut and just by looking at her, you can tell she was extremely smart. You shook hands with her. “You’re definitely Pidge! You’re the one who saved my life.” 

A small blush dashed her cheeks and she awkwardly scratched the back of her head. “That was honestly more of Keith but—” 

“No way, Keith told me without you, he would’ve been lost.” 

“Hey…” Keith mumbled, and you ignored. 

Pidge laughed, “Is that so? Well, you should’ve seen how Keith was acting…” 

“Pidge…” Keith warned.

“I wasn’t going to say anything.” A smug smile appeared on her face. You laughed. Pidge was an interesting person. You hoped to talk with her more. You looked to the next person and it was a man who was slightly tanned with orange hair and purple eyes. He had elf ears and green markings on his face. He held out his hand for you to shake and you delightfully took it. 

“Coran?” You called out questionably and a bright smile graced his features. 

“Yup! Coran Hieronymus Wimbleton Smythe! But, you can just call me Coran. I’m Princess Allura’s advisor.” He gestured to the woman standing next to Keith. You already guessed that was the princess. She was so gorgeous! “Oh, but I guess you wanted to guess that, my apologies!” 

“No, it’s okay. I already guessed she was the princess! You’re so beautiful, princess. Keith told me all about you.”

“Re-Really? Well, I’m flattered.” She looked a little embarrassed when you mentioned her looks. You thought it was weird because you figured she always received compliments.

“Yeah, he told me you pilot this whole ship. That’s amazing. And Coran, you’re the one behind the ship’s weapons, right? That’s pretty awesome.” You spoke excitedly as if you were a fan finally meeting your idols. You always heard stories from Keith. It was finally nice to meet them in person.

“That’s right! The princess and I oversee the ship’s commands. The princess, more specifically, the controls and I, the weapons.”

“And I’m…” You heard a purr of a voice and suddenly, your hand was snatched and in the hands of a man standing next to Allura. He quickly winked before intending to plant his lips against your hand. You pulled away just in time.

“You must be Lance.” You confidently spoke, your facial expression flattening. “Keith warned me about you.” 

“What?!” He turned to Keith. “Why would you warn her about me?”

Keith glared at him and Lance returned it. “Because you always do stupid stuff like that.” Keith also told you their relationship wasn’t the best, but you can see they still cared about each other. 

“Stupid stuff? I’m trying to introduce myself!” 

“You can do that without trying to flirt.”

“I’m not flirting! I’m obviously showing my charm.”

“Charm?”

“Knock it off, guys.” The final member that had yet to be introduced to you spoke up. He was standing next to Lance as he silenced the two bickering Paladins. With his aura, you could already tell he was the leader of Voltron. He stood tall and stoic, but he had a gentle look to his features that melted that all away. You found him to be very handsome even with that scar across his nose and cheeks. His hair was short and black except for the one piece that dangled in front of his face which was white. He held his right hand out which you were shocked to find that his whole entire right arm was metal. He lost his arm and got slashed in the face? Man, he clearly went through a lot in his life. You assumed it was the reason why he was picked to be the leader of Voltron. He was experienced and most of all, level headed. He knew exactly how to calm the team, what to say, and how to direct them. You weren’t surprised that this kind of man was chosen for the Voltron team. “Shiro. But I’m sure you could’ve already guessed it.”

You grabbed his metal hand to shake it. It was quite cold. “Voltron’s leader, right? You’re the guy that brings it all together!” 

“It’s not only me. Every single one of us holds an important role on this team.” Modest, as well.

“True. But without you, the team wouldn’t be a team. If anything, you’re the rock that holds everyone together, right?” You remembered how much Keith spoke about this man with such admiration. He held a special place in Keith’s heart and greatly looked up to him. Out of everyone, Keith really wanted you to meet Shiro first.

“I wouldn’t say it like that.” Still modest. “But it’s great to see you’re recovering well.  Keith here was pretty worried about you.”

“Reaaally?” You turned to look at Keith and he was bright red.

“It’s not like that…” He grumbled, bringing a hand to rub the back of his neck. It was cute when he was embarrassed and dishonest with his feelings.

“Oh, it was like that.”

“Definitely.”

“He was practically glued to your room!”

Lance, Pidge, and Hunk all spoke up one after the other and it made you laugh when Keith glared at them. He brought a hand to rub his face and sighed heavily at his friends. It was fun meeting his friends. They all seemed extremely close, truly partners, and best friends. You never seen a bond so strong and it was perfect for Voltron. You soon said goodbye to the Paladins as they had to prepare for an upcoming mission. Keith had to leave too but he waited until everyone was out of the room to give you his soft press of his lips to yours. He told you he’ll be back soon, and you told him to be careful before kissing him again. Once everyone left, you couldn’t help but feel a bit lonely. The atmosphere of the room suddenly changed, and you had to come to the realization that the distractions weren’t here anymore. You were haunted by your memories, the sounds of your students crying, gunshots ringing in your ears. The memory of the bullet piercing your left calf sent a painful throb within your leg. You fell back onto your bed and pulled the covers over your head. You felt your heart sink into your stomach, a queasy feeling rising within you. You wished Keith would hurry home soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, Reader meets Shiro! isn't that just exciting?? *evil laughs* 
> 
> But anyway, I have most of this fic planned out but i'm still trying to figure out if I should make it follow the canon storyline. If you guys think I should switch gears and make this fic follow the show, just let me know! Currently this fic is taking place before that major battle with Zarkon, just in case you guys wanted to know.


	9. Swollen Dam

**Chapter IX: Swollen Dam**

 

Keith’s been more than helpful when attending to your needs. He always brought you food when you were hungry and when he couldn’t do it, he would send Pidge or Allura to do it. Which you were delighted when he did because you could talk to them and get to know them. He would also help walk you to the bathroom. It was down the hall from your room and you didn’t have the leg strength to walk on your own yet. He would stand on your left side and hold out his arm. You would use him like he was your own personal crutch while slowly making your way to the bathroom. You enjoyed these times together because you were finally out of your room. You were sick of looking at the same four corners, the same desk lamp, the same window that showcased space outside decorated with the shining stars millions of billions of miles away. You were tired. You needed a fresh environment and the hallway did just that. After using the bathroom, Keith would take you back to your room even though you begged him to show you around the castle. He believed until you got better, you shouldn’t be walking long distances. He was right and wrong… well, you wanted him to be wrong. But ultimately, he was right. The doctor said not to move around a lot but to practice small steps in your room every now and then when there’s no pain. Your body had to get used to walking once again. 

So here you were, it was bedtime for the Paladins and Keith fell asleep on the chair besides your bed. His top half of his body was upon your covers and his bottom half was still sitting in the chair. You woken up a little while ago to having your head on Keith’s forearms as your body twisted into a weird L shape while you were sleeping. You woken up due to a full bladder and you were getting ready to unleash the dams unless you did something about it. Keith was sound asleep. Looking as peaceful as he did, you didn’t want to wake him up just so he can walk you to the bathroom. You figured you can try and walk yourself to the bathroom. It was only a couple of steps down the hall. It shouldn’t be too hard, right? 

Well, it was. It was very hard. Your calf was pounding the moment you stepped into the hallway. You used the wall as your imaginary Keith crutch and leaned against it to put less pressure on your injured leg, but it wasn’t enough. The awkward vertical wall still had your injured leg hold at least half of your weight in order to move forward, and it was causing some agonizing pain. You squeaked softly as you just lifted off your injured leg and onto your good one. You released a frustrated sigh to the throbbing in your leg as well as your bladder. You should’ve just woke up Keith and you wanted you go back to do so. 

“Miss ____?” You looked behind you as you heard your name and oh, how embarrassing this was as you found the owner of that voice to be Shiro. You mentally cursed at yourself. You didn’t want anyone to see you like this. When you didn’t respond right away, Shiro was by your side. His brows were knitted together in a worried expression. “Are you okay, Miss ____?” 

“Ummm.” You weren’t looking at him but at the wall to your side. You were well aware that you were a sitting duck here. There was no way you could’ve avoided his question. “Well, you know… Just hanging around.” 

“That seems unlikely.” It felt like he grew a bit suspicious of you, especially since you weren’t meeting his eyes. He was now in front of you, holding out his right arm. “Do you need help?” 

You finally met his eyes and sighed before grabbing hold of his right arm similarly to how you grabbed Keith’s. He stood on your left side as you tried to balance your weight on his arm. His metal arm felt the same as before, cold and hard.

“Where to?” He asked.

“The bathroom.” You answered and Shiro began to lead the way. It was a little difficult to walk with him at first. Because of his long legs, he naturally took larger strides but when he noticed you struggling to close the gaps, he lessened them. It was quite quiet between you two. You didn’t really know what to say. You haven’t seen Shiro since the day you were introduced. You always assumed he was busy being the leader of Voltron that he couldn’t visit. Speaking of which, you wondered why he was awake this late at night.

“You know—” 

“How come—” 

Shiro and you spoke up simultaneously. And at the same time, you both chuckled. At least that destroyed the awkward silence. Shiro gave you the go ahead to speak.

“How come you’re awake, Shiro?” You looked at him and he was staring straight down the hall. 

“Well…” He took a while to answer. “I couldn’t sleep.” 

“Really?” Strange, you took Shiro to be a heavy sleeper because of all the work he had to do. “Maybe take some sleeping medication?”

“Meds don’t work, sadly.” A slight frown was upon his features. An expression you didn’t quite see on him before. 

“Hmmm, well, you can never go wrong with warm milk and cookies!” You laughed and Shiro’s troubled expression erased completely.

“Seriously, milk and cookies?” He chuckled, his smile was as dazzling as his looks and it was much better than that frown of his a few moments ago.

“Yeah definitely, it’s works!” 

“I heard about warm milk but not cookies.” 

“Wouldn’t you want a mid-night snack to go along with it? 

“I guess so.” His gentle smile remained until you reached the bathroom door. You were a little bit happy that you were able to cheer him up. You thanked him greatly and went to do your business. A wave of relief washed over you when you emptied your bladder. You used the sink to help you stand up and you washed your hands like a good, clean person would do. 

“Done?” Shiro was standing a little bit away from the bathroom. He was leaning on the wall, his arms unraveling to his sides as he had them crossed against his chest. You were surprised he waited for you but then again it made sense. How were you going to make it back without any help? Shiro returned to his position on your left side and you held on to his arm. You guys were steadily walking back to your room. 

“Shiro? What were you going to say before?” You looked up at Shiro once again but this time he met your eyes instead of looking down the hall.

“I was going to say; your dishonesty reminds me of Keith.”

“Really? He’s probably rubbing off of me.”

“Is he? How long have known Keith?” You knew the question would pop up sooner or later. Keith never mentioned you to the other Paladins, so it was kind of like you appeared out of the blue.

“I met Keith back when he did a solo mission on Thetis. He was being chased by these people and he stumbled into my house.”

“Stumbled?”

“Yeah,” a beautiful smile was on your face when you reminisced about your first meeting with Keith. It was what started it all and you always got giddy when thinking of it. Finally, you could gush about it to someone. “He tumbled right through the open window of my bedroom. I was really freaked at first but when he asked me to help hide him, I just did what he said. After that, I treated him to some milk and cookies.” 

“You really like cookies and milk.”

“They’re the best, of course! Whenever my dad sends me Earth supplies, it’s the first thing I make.” You sighed softly, you just remembered you had to message your father soon about your current situation. He probably doesn’t know you weren't on Thetis anymore. “But ever since then, Keith and I hung out and we became good friends.”

“I can tell. Keith cares about you a lot. He wouldn’t mention it, but he was really worried about you during the Galra attack.” You were already at your bedroom door. You no longer needed Shiro’s help as you grabbed onto your doorknob and let go of his arm. “You don’t need anymore help, right?” 

You shook your head at him. “I’ll be fine from here. Thank you, Shiro. I would probably still be at that wall if you didn’t help.”

“I thought you were just _hanging around_?” You laughed when he mocked you and it brought a smile to his face. It was nice to know he had a slight sense of humor underneath all that leadership. Surprisingly, you didn’t expect to click this well with Shiro.

“Well… Goodnight.” You announced, not really knowing what else to say.

“Miss ____.”

“Oh, ____ is just fine.” It’s not like you were teaching anymore.

“____,” There was an expression Shiro had on his face that you couldn’t quite explain, like he was in a middle of a thought he couldn’t exactly bring to words. He took a moment before he got his next words out. “There’s something I received from the Thetis people that they wanted you to have, but I don’t think it’s right to give it to you now…” 

“From Thetis…?” You said mostly to yourself than to Shiro, but he nodded anyway, his expression still unreadable. 

“I’ll come after breakfast to give it to you.” From Shiro’s voice, it didn’t seem like whatever he had to give you would make you happy. He soon left you, bidding you a good night before disappearing down the dimmed hallway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shiro to the rescue!! Just to let you guys know, the beginning of this fic is strictly a Keith x Reader. So even if Reader does have these moments with Shiro, it doesn't necessary mean they're gaining interest in each other.
> 
> Now of course, a time will come for that BUT for now, just enjoy Keith, loves.
> 
> Thanks for the comments, kudos, and for just reading this fic <3


	10. Surprise

**Chapter X: Surprise**

 

“This is…?” A scuffed-up metal object with a button in its center was placed in your hands. Shiro was standing by your bedside and as promised, he arrived just after breakfast. Keith was sitting in a chair next to your bed. You told him about how Shiro had to give you something after breakfast, so he wasn’t surprised at Shiro being here.

“What is this?” Keith asked, peering at the object in your hands. You pressed the button at the center and suddenly, a holographic screen popped up from the object. You could see Shiro through the sheer screen of pixels. He looked uncomfortable as he brought a hand to the back of his neck. 

The image was dark at first, but you heard shuffling sounds coming from somewhere. You heard a familiar voice suddenly count down from five, a voice that brought you back just a few weeks ago. Light filled the image and abruptly, cheerful screams filled your eardrums. You knew those voices from anywhere. 

“ _Surprise!_ ” You brought a hand to cover your gasping mouth, the image of your students sitting in a perfect rows and Miss Ceto alongside with them blurred by the tears in your eyes. It was a video of the students you lost and Miss Ceto. They all had smiles on, each and every face was full of hope and excitement. You felt Keith move onto the bed, he brought an arm around your shoulders and pulled you close but you were too focus on the video to take advantage of his comfort.

“ _We wanted to show you how much we appreciated you, Miss ____. The children and I decided to make this video to show it! Your students have prepared a small speech for you.”_

 _“I’m first! I’m first!”_ One of your students jumped out of his seat and interrupted Miss Ceto but she quickly lectured him which caused him to settle back in his seat. 

 _“We’ll start with the right side of the first row.”_ One by one your students poured out their heart into words as they read from the papers in their hands with brilliant smiles upon their faces. You wished your heart could warm up to the scene in front of you, but it couldn’t. Perhaps if tragedy never befell them, you would’ve been watching with a smile and your heart full of happiness. You wiped the tears that rolled down your cheeks. You felt Keith’s hand softly rubbing your shoulder and you leaned closer to him in response.

“Apparently, they were planning on giving this to you before the attack happened. The Thetian authorities found this when they were looking for survivors at the school.” Shortly after the video ended, Shiro spoke up. He wasn’t sure if he should say his next words on the account of you bawling your eyes out, but your next question left him no choice.

“Ar–Are there…?” Are there any survivors left? Did anyone survive? Are they all gone? One by one these questions appeared in your head, but you couldn’t get them out. Your sobs were choking your words. 

Shiro remained silent, closing his eyes like he was in deep thought. His eyes were furrowed tightly together, and it didn’t make you feel any better. He sighed softly and placed his hands on his hips. Without meeting your eyes, he spoke.

“I’m sorry, ____.” It was all he said, and it was all you needed to know. You buried your face in your hands and your cries sounded out around your room. Keith didn’t know what else he could’ve done but to just stay by your side. It was something Keith felt like he couldn’t mend with words but maybe he could with his presence. Shiro, on the other hand, was thinking of what to say to calm you down. He didn’t know what it was, but he didn’t like seeing you like this.

“____?” Shiro called you but of course, all your responses were nothing but sobs. He kneeled by your bedside and called you once more before speaking. “I know this is a rough time for you and probably nothing we can say can take away this pain from you, but I want you to know that we’re here for you, ____. You can talk to any single one of us and we’ll help you get through this.” 

“And you know I’m here for you.” You felt Keith give your arm a squeeze when he spoke. You lifted your head from your hands and looked to Keith and Shiro. You were nodding and wiping your tears, thanking them through your sloppy cries.

Shiro was right. Nothing they say could take away the pain, but you did feel better knowing that you had people to support you. Knowing that you had Keith and the rest of the Paladins to help you through this, it left a little hope inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Reader! *cries*
> 
> This is a pretty short chapter so the next chapter will be up maybe tomorrow or sunday!


	11. Milestone

**Chapter XI: Milestone**

 

“You’re getting better at this.” Keith commented, looking at your legs when you took a couple of steps forward. His hands were holding your forearms but then moved to rest on your hips. In response, you laid your hands on his shoulders.

“Well, I’m not going to stay injured forever.” You giggled, and it brought a small smile to Keith. He was helping you practice walking again but as usual, he got distracted and began caressing your hips. He honestly loved the shape of them. It was his favorite part of your body and he couldn’t help but touch them when he got close. You didn’t mind it, of course. You loved when Keith touched you, even though your mark didn’t.

 “Yeah, it has been like two months. Your leg doesn’t hurt anymore, right?” His hands that slowly moved up and down made you a little ticklish.

 “Not as much but sometimes it would throb.” You felt a small squeeze on your hips.

 “That’s not good but at least you’re healing.”

 “At least I can walk to the bathroom on my own.” You shrugged, Keith wrapped his arms around your hips and pulled you closer to him. You leaned your head against his shoulder and sighed softly. You loved being in his arms.

 “I’m gonna miss our little walks there though.” You heard his mumble near your ear and it left a fuzzy feeling within you, his lips that tickled your skin brushed upon your cheek slightly.

 “It’s okay, there are other places we can walk to… that’s better than a bathroom.” Keith hummed before you felt him deeply inhaling and then exhaling. You seem to notice that Keith would sigh heavily every time you were in his arms. He started doing it ever since you were saved from the Galra. He would hold you tightly, his chest would greatly rise and then with a heavy sigh, it would fall. You didn’t really know what the cause of it was. Was he just worried? Tired?  Did he have a lot on his mind? It must be hard being a Paladin and then coming back to take care of you.

 “You okay, Keith?” You lifted your head to look up at him and his cheeks were softly flushed while looking at you. He looked a bit uncomfortable like he was holding something in.

 “Yeah. Never better.” He quickly said but you you didn’t leave it alone.

 “You’ve been sighing a lot lately. Are you just tired?” You pulled away from him a little bit but his arms remained where they were. Your hands caressed his neck and jaw, your fingers sometimes curling into his hair.

 “Ah…” Keith was silent for a while, he was staring at your face and his cheeks deepened the longer he did. “I just…”

 “Yeah?”

 He mumbled and bit his lower lip. “I just… I just…” It was like he was trying to say the right words. He stumbled and paused, all while having that same uncomfortable expression with his cheeks growing redder than his jacket.

 “Hm-mm?” You smiled softly in encouragement, but it only made Keith inhale sharply.

 “Just… I’m notthinkingdecentlyrightnow.” Keith mushed his words together and you couldn’t make sense of them. You chuckled in response and smiled widely. Your fingers softly brushing his neck didn’t help him at all. You questioned him again and this time, he deeply sighed. You wondered what was making Keith into such a mess. “I’m not… having decent thoughts right now…” He said it much slower, his dark eyes flickering from your face to around the room and then back. It honestly took you a while before understanding what Keith was talking about but once you did, you couldn’t help but laugh.

 “So, wait, all this time you’ve just been horny?”

 “What? No!” His eyes widened in surprise and he shook his head. “I’ve just been relieved lately because you’re safe… but there are times when… you know.” He shrugged off his last words. He couldn’t help it. He was a teenage—no, a man who was around the person he loved. There were times where he just wanted to do more than just cuddle with you. It was embarrassing trying to get you to notice that. There were times when you’ll completely miss what he meant, and it’ll leave Keith feeling like a complete idiot while walking back to his room to _relieve_ himself. Even though, your relationship has been going strong for months. Sex is a milestone that you haven’t crossed yet, and Keith was getting a bit frustrated, sexually frustrated. But, it was somewhat nice to know that it was you making Keith into a mess.

 “I get it. I’ve been thinking about it too.” You have thought about sex with Keith for a while now but the only thing stopping you was your mark. You weren’t sure if Keith was your soulmate or not and you didn’t know if the soulmate rules applied out of Earth. You were afraid to take that step with him. Some part of you didn’t want to take this relationship too far, only for it to end in shatters if you or Keith’s soulmate come.

 “And?” Keith’s hands hesitantly began to roam your body. He couldn’t help it. He was all over your back, bum, and hips. You thought of what Keith said before, how you should just live in the now. There’s a chance where you could never meet your soulmate and you can just stay with Keith.

 “Well…” You hummed softly to his touches, you too were feeling a little frustrated. “How about tonight…?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And Reader and Keith are making some plans~ ;) This fanfic is mature, guys, but I will warn you guys if there's any mature content in the chapters in the beginning notes. Just in case you guys don't wanna read it. Thanks for the comments and Kudos! I honestly love reading your reactions! Until next week!


	12. How About Tonight?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: SLIGHT NSFW

**Chapter XII: How about tonight?**

 

_How about tonight? How about tonight? How about tonight? How about tonight? Howabouttonight? Howabouttonight?Howabout **tonight**?_

Keith was freaking out. Tonight? **Tonight?** You guys were going to have sex tonight? He was panicking. He didn’t know how to go about this. He never did this before. Is it something you even plan out? Thinking about this was frustrating for him.

Keith was sitting in one of the chairs of the dining hall. He was eating lunch alongside with Pidge who was suspiciously looking at him. Keith had been back to normal lately but now, it just seemed like he was back to being weird again. He was barely touching his food and occasionally he buried his face in his hands and sighed heavily.

“Did you two have a fight or something?” Pidge knew it had something to do with you. Right now, it seemed Keith’s change of behavior always did have something to do with you.

“No.” He grumbled. A fight? Far from it. Keith was going to get laid! But he couldn’t tell her that. “I’m just… trying to figure something out.”

“Like a puzzle?” Keith shook his head. May as well be a puzzle. He’ll have to figure out something and fast before tonight. Maybe he can get some information. He stood up from his seat and walked out of the dining hall, leaving his plate of food behind.

“I’m not gonna clean up your plate!” Keith heard Pidge called out, but he continued walking, her voice didn’t pierce his deep thoughts. He walked down the halls of the castle, trying to figure out what to do during sex. It’s not like he didn’t have any idea, but Keith didn’t want to make any mistakes on your first night. He wanted to make it enjoyable for you and himself. He didn’t want to embarrass himself and make your first night together an embarrassing thought to remember. He wanted it to be a loving, beautiful, and wonderful first night.

“Keith!” When Keith was walking by the training room, Shiro, who had just finished doing one of his workout routines, called out to Keith. It was enough to snap Keith out of his thoughts and look to the training room where Shiro was waving at him with his usual gentle smile. Keith’s eyes widened as he stared at Shiro, an idea had popped up within his head and he rushed over to him. That’s right! Shiro! Shiro knows a lot of stuff and he probably has experience as well. Maybe Keith can get some advice.

“What’s up, Keith? Want to join me?” Shiro noticed how excitedly Keith ran up to him. It wouldn’t be noticeable to most but Shiro could tell Keith was happier than usual. His eyes were brighter, and his brows were relaxed instead of furrowed. Shiro was glad to see his improvement in his behavior.

“Maybe later, but Shiro! I need some ad—” Keith didn’t complete his sentence, instead he just stared at him like he made the biggest mistake of his life. Shiro raised his eyebrows to the look on Keith’s face. Keith couldn’t ask Shiro for advice because Shiro didn’t even know about Keith’s relationship with you! How would it look if Keith suddenly came up to him for sex advice? It would look suspicious! Keith mentally cursed at himself as Shiro looked too well invested in this conversation to back down.

“Something wrong?”

“Uhhh…” He had to think of something fast. Maybe he could still ask for advice without really saying what it is. “You see, have you ever had to do something that you had no experience in, but you were afraid to embarrass yourself?”

“Plenty of times. Keith, when it comes to anything you don’t have experience in, it takes practice and mistakes to improve. Don’t think about embarrassing yourself. Just think about how you’re going to improve the more you do it.” Okay, it was embarrassing hearing Shiro say this and taking his advice and applying it to sex. Keith didn’t want to admit it but what Shiro said made sense.

“Think about when we first tried to form Voltron and how difficult that was. Now when we form Voltron, we do it like it’s our second nature.” Shiro placed his hand on his shoulder. Keith was too embarrassed to look at him. “I hate to use it, but the saying is right, practice makes perfect.”

“Thanks, Shiro.” Shiro gave him a heavy pat on his shoulder before returning to complete another workout. Keith rushed out of there, thankful that Shiro didn’t ask for details.

Keith decided he needed to do some research on his own before tonight. He returned to his room and went on his communicator. Pidge was able to create a browser for it, so Keith was able to search the web. The web out in space was kind of weird. Depending on where they were, the web would be connected to that region so sometimes it’ll be in a complete different language. There was no way to connect to Earth’s region because of how far they were. But Keith knew what to search for. It’s a universal word, anyway.

 

S.E.X

 

He typed out in the web browser and several pages popped up on the screen. The definition of sex and several websites were shown. He didn’t know where to start. First of all, the definition of sex was in alien language but he already knew what it was, so he decided to tap on one of the websites. When he did, the website was full of colorful texts, pictures, and videos of various positions and kinks of different species throughout the galaxies. It was all in another language Keith couldn’t understand and he noticed some freaky stuff he couldn’t quite explain. He decided to check out the first video that had icons with large numbers next to them. He assumed it was the most popular video so might as well see what’s popular in all the galaxies.

It was a dark screen at first and then a couple of logos showed up before the actors were finally shown in a space ship setting. Keith skipped ahead. He just wanted to see the action honestly, which landed him in the middle of the video. The alien woman’s, who Keith didn’t know the species of, chest was shown flopping around the screen. She was screaming in an agonizing way as if she was in the most excruciating pain ever. Her hands were tied behind her back while her back was against the space ship’s flooring. Keith was horrified and strangely aroused, probably because it was still a naked woman in a provocative position. The camera was mostly on the woman and the areas where she was viciously being plowed but the camera briefly showed the alien man who was grinning and licking his lips.

“Is that… Zarkon…?” Keith shuddered when he got his name out. Indeed, it was Zarkon, an actor dressed as him and trying to impersonate him. Keith had enough. As soon as “Zarkon” flipped her on her stomach, Keith hit the back button. He wasn’t watching that.

There was a search bar on the top right of the website and he typed in the word, human. He should just look for his own kind, it only made sense. The search engine was able to find videos of humans having sex and even with other aliens. Since you weren’t a different species, Keith looked at one with just humans.

The screen was dark at first again but this time no logos showed up. The title of the video was actually in English and it said, “Watch Me Bang My Tight GF,” and he sighed heavily at it. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be worse than watching “Zarkon”. When the video started, a man who had just set up the camera backed away from it and joined his “supposedly” girlfriend on the bed. She was smiling but looked a little shy like this was her first time being videotaped. She kept awkwardly looking at the camera and Keith could hear the guy telling her to relax. Keith watched the beginning for a bit before skipping. He landed on a moment when the guy was kissing her neck and moving downward to her chest and then to her stomach, all the way until he was between her legs.

Keith was leaning closer to the holographic screen. The video didn’t have those flashy angles that the “Zarkon” video had so Keith couldn’t see exactly where he was kissing. But whatever he was doing was driving the girl absolutely insane. Whatever shyness she had in the beginning was long forgotten because she was actively moving under the pleasure building within her. She was gripping his hair and occasionally letting out a soft moan, her other hand was fisting the sheets and it just seemed her legs got wider the longer he was between them.

And when she looked at the camera, Keith almost lost it. She was biting her lip which unraveled when she moaned. Her eyes were half-lidded, her brows were together, and her cheeks were flushed. Something was building within her and she wanted it released. Keith couldn’t help but think if that was going to be your reaction to him doing those things to you. Would you be shy with him at the beginning but then be consumed by pleasure in the end? Would you stare at him with eyes full of lust and hands moving with desire? Would your legs widen with the anticipation for release, accepting him in between them?

Keith closed the browser. He was terribly aroused, and he probably wouldn’t be able to take it if he continued watching. He couldn’t help but imagine that woman as you and the man as him. His imaginations were running wild and it made him feel like he was ready for tonight. He wanted to have you. He needed to have you.

 

Like Keith, you were also a mess. You told Keith to come by when most of the Paladins were asleep. You were just counting down the minutes until Keith arrived at your door. You had to admit that you were nervous. You never had sex before so it’s a completely new thing for you and possibly Keith. You weren’t sure if he was a virgin or not. You knew there were some people who didn’t wait for their soulmate to have sex, but you didn’t know if Keith was one of them.

To past the time, you decided to gather some information on sex, so you wouldn’t be completely lost on it. You used your communicator and did some research on different positions and what to do and what not to do. As weird as it was, you wanted to practice. So, you undressed yourself until you were only in your underwear and you put on a cerulean silk robe that Keith bought for you a while back. You looked back at the website and the first step was about looking sexy and seducing your mate. You were able to find a Thetian website about it, so you understood the language it was written in. There was a Thetian woman with her clothes dangling off her shoulders and you copied her by having your robe off your shoulders.

“Okay. Step two. Make sure your makeup’s on point? Got that.” You already had make up on as you borrowed it from Allura. She questioned you on why you needed makeup and you gave her an excuse about how you wanted to look pretty. She delightfully handed you some and even gave you some advice on how you can apply it. You were grateful to her and now you were even more beautiful. You couldn’t wait for Keith to see you.

A few steps down the line and the article was showing you different positions you can try with your mate. One of the position had you on your back with your legs opened. You found it a little embarrassing having your legs in the air for no reason and it was also embarrassing imagining Keith in between them. You groaned and rolled onto your side, covering your face with your hands. You felt your cheeks grow hot as you imagined Keith on top of you. It’s really going to happen tonight. You’re going to lose your virginity to Keith _tonight_. A fuzzy feeling arose in your heart and between your legs when you thought of Keith touching you there. You imagined he’ll be gentle and sweet and would take his time to make love to you. You wanted him in your arms already.

You gasped and jumped to the sound of a knock on your door. You began to panic as you wondered why Keith was so early.

“Y-Yes…?” You called out, desperately fixing yourself before he lets himself in. You quickly fixed your hair and made your robe slip slightly off your shoulders to “make yourself sexy” as what the article said. You were expecting Keith to just walk in but for some reason no one entered.

“____?” _Crap!_ Shiro? What is Shiro doing here?

“H-Hold on!” You got up from your bed in a hurry and tied your robe’s sash around your waist to make yourself more decent. You opened your door and it slid opened to Shiro who was indeed the one who knocked on your door.

Shiro was a bit surprised at your attire. You saw him looked away from you for a moment. “I’m sorry. Were you getting ready for bed?”

“U-Umm, yeah.” You thought about how this was awkward. It kind of felt like you were interrupted from a private moment. It was a bit weird knowing that Shiro had no clue what you were doing a few minutes ago. “Do you need something?”

“I just received an update on Thetis. I wanted to let you know how they’re doing but maybe this isn’t a good time.” Shiro was wondering why you were wearing makeup to bed but he didn’t pry. Maybe you were wearing it earlier and was about to take it off. He also noticed you were softly flushed but then again, he kept it to himself.

“If it’s short, you can just tell me then.” You kind of hoped it wasn’t the type of news that would ruin your mood. You really wanted to feel emotionally well for your first time.

“Sure, but first, are you feeling okay, ____?” Shiro decided it wouldn’t hurt to ask you. It’s better for him to find out than to just ignore it.

“Hmm?”

“You look a bit red. Do you have a fever?”

You waved him off, an uneasy smile was on your lips. “No way. I was just feeling a little hot is all. I’ll be fine.”

Shiro paused a bit, you couldn’t really read his expression as usual. But he broke into his gentle smile anyway and you guessed he believed your words. “Just take it easy, okay? Let us know if you’re not feeling okay and we can have the doctor visit to check up on you.”

You noticed Shiro was kind of like the dad of the group. It seemed like he was always checking up on the team and you. He was actually concerned about your wellbeing and you weren’t even part of the team. It made you confirm even more that Shiro was a really good leader for Voltron. But with all his concern about his team, you wondered if anyone was looking out for him and his problems. You had a feeling that Shiro was the type of leader to hold in his problems to stay strong for his team. Like you said before, Shiro was the rock and for the rock to be strong, he must show no weaknesses.

“What about you, Shiro? Have you been able to sleep?” Shiro looked stunned for a moment like he almost didn’t know what to say. But it soon melted into a smile and you didn’t know if it was because he was happy you asked or not.

“It’s been okay, but I’ll be alright.” He gave a small nod of reassurance, but it didn’t do too much to reassure you. Without giving you a chance to continue, he spoke about the update. You guessed he didn’t want the conversation to linger on him any longer. “Thetis has started rebuilding the school. They don’t know when they’ll be finished but it’ll take a couple of months. They wanted you to visit the school once it’s done.”

“Visit the school, huh? I wonder if they’ll ask me to come back…” You spoke lower than normal. Your eyes left Shiro and fell to the floor. If you came to visit the school once it’s complete, there’s a chance they’ll ask you to stay. You didn’t know what to say if they ask you. Knowing Keith, he probably would be against you going back.

“Would you?”

“Hm?” Shiro’s question made you look at him. His expression was serious as he asked again.

“Would you go back?”

“Honestly… I’m not sure.” You took a slight pause to gather your thoughts. “It’s something I avoided thinking about for weeks now. I know Keith would probably be against it.”

His chuckle was low. “Definitely.” There was a soft smile on your face when you spoke of Keith. Your cheeks were even more pink as you became lost in your thoughts filled with him. The longer you were quiet, the more Shiro understood. Your expression was so different when talking about Keith. You looked like a blossoming rose, fresh and beautiful to the world, opening to no one else but Keith. Shiro was so sure about this.

“You love Keith, don’t you?” You jumped when Shiro said this. A knowing smile that somewhat looked uncomfortable was on his face. You felt like you couldn’t deny it. It wasn’t like you were hiding it from the other Paladins. It was Keith who kept it a secret. You didn’t look in Shiro’s eyes when you gave him a hesitating nod. His smile remained as he placed a hand on your shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep it a secret.”

With this, Shiro bid you a good night and told you to get some rest. Strangely, there was something lonely about him when you stared at his retreating back. Shiro was such a mystery that it made you curious about him. Maybe one day, you’ll ask Shiro about himself so that you could learn more about the man Keith looks up to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Did you guys hear the news about Shiro? Amazing, right? It does make me question whether or not I should go canon with this story. If I do, I will most definitely make Shiro bisexual because of his past relationship with Adam. If not, things will just move along. Let me know what you think! Until next week, guys!


	13. Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because of this chapter, I've changed the rating for this story. Also I don't know about you guys but it's pretty late over here so I think it's a perfect time to update this chapter. Enjoy, loves, it's a long one.
> 
> WARNING: NSFW, Sexual Content

**Chapter XIII: Together**

 

After Shiro’s visit, you resumed getting ready for Keith. It was a little embarrassing practicing different positions while fantasizing Keith with you, so you decided to just read up on sex. And while you were reading, you came across a section that hadn’t crossed your mind yet. _Protection._  

_Unless you and your mate are planning to have a child, always use protection! There are many different forms of protection, but the most popular one is condoms._

How were you and Keith going to do this without condoms? You hadn’t thought about it when you said yes to having sex with him. Obviously, having a child with Keith is something you shouldn’t do.

But then, where were you even going to get condoms? Is there even a store you can go to that sells human stuff? You sighed softly, shaking your head. You thought maybe it wasn’t a good time to do this. Especially if you didn’t have protection. You wouldn’t want to make a mistake.

Without you even realizing, time flew by like a passing meteor. As soon as it was late enough, your door slid open and Keith appeared behind your door. Since you didn’t keep track of the time, you didn’t prepare yourself for Keith when he walked in. You were still on your bed, reading the article on your phone. You thought you looked like a mess to Keith but in fact, Keith thought you looked unbelievably sexy. Your robe was messy and slightly slipping off your shoulders. Your bra was full view, skin flushed with heat, your collarbones deliciously poking through your skin. He never seen anything but pajamas on you. Already, he was riled up. 

“Keith… Hi.” You brushed some hair strands away from your face in a nervous tick. You placed your communicator on your bed as you felt the heat of Keith’s eyes watching your every move.

“H-Hey…” When Keith walked closer to you, you noticed his face was also flushed. He sat down beside you a little too fast, his movements stiff as a tree trunk. You could tell. He was just as nervous as you.

“J-Just relax, Keith, you’re making me even more nervous.” You pressed your hands against your chest. Your heart was moving so hard that you thought you could feel it protruding your chest.

“I’m not nervous.” He said a little too quickly, his tone of voice higher than normal. He cleared his throat in response and place his hands on yours. He looked deeply in your eyes, and you took your hands into his. His hands were shaking slightly. “Are you ready for this?” He scooted closer to you until your knees bumped each other’s. You nodded slightly and gave him a nervous smile. It quickly reminded him of that porn video he watched, and he pushed it to the back of his mind. He wanted to develop his own image of sex with you. 

“I am but, Keith, don’t we need condoms?” 

“O-Oh.” He forgot about that. His mind was so fixed on trying to accomplish the action that he forgotten the most important thing. Condoms. Where in the universe was he supposed to find condoms? “Uh…” There was only one thing he thought of that could be used as a substitute. It was risky but… 

“I’ll… just pull out.” He squeezed your hands as if he was asking you to trust him. You knew it was risky as well. It was easy to lose all rational thoughts when drunk off pleasure, but you wanted to trust Keith. You believed in him. 

“Alright… I trust you.” You spoke softly, and it brought a small smile to his face. He pulled your hand to his lips and kissed the back of your hand. His lips soft against your skin as his dark eyes watched you intently. How passionate they were as they stared right into yours. He moved to hold your cheek with his hand, lovingly caressing your flushed skin.

“And I love you.” His voice hushed and heavy with the weight of love. He leaned in, and gently, his lips touched yours. It was only a second long, and he pulled away, making you want more. “I should…” He didn’t complete his sentence and moved to strip his clothing. He pulled his gray shirt over his head and toss it aside. He then stood up and you watched his black cargo pants drop to his ankles. Keith was only in his boxers and nothing else. It was the first time you ever seen Keith nearly naked. Your eyes scanned his body and you felt your blush growing deeper. You also didn’t know he was so fit. His clothes honestly didn’t do his muscles any justice. 

“What? Don’t like what you see?” A knowing smile was on Keith’s face when he climbed back on the bed. He didn’t wait for you to speak as you found his lips pressed against yours. His large hands moved to cup your cheeks, his thumb caressing your skin as his lips slide against yours, soft and sweet, just like Keith.

It reminded you of the nights you two shared back at Thetis. Kissing each other until you fell asleep in each other’s arms. His lips never went past your neck before. And you eagerly waited for them to finally break that boundary. 

He pulled away shortly, only to kiss you again. His hands grabbed your arms, and you felt your robe slipping from your body. 

“Let’s just…” He mumbled out of the kiss but not for long. He was slipping off your robe until finally, he tossed it aside. It landed right by his pants and shirt. You rested your hands on his shoulders, your eyes fluttering closed as you surrendered yourself to his soft lips. His tongue knocked between your lips and you eagerly invited him in. His invited tongue filled the inside of your mouth, slow dancing along with your tongue, and your salivas mixing into one. You felt something building within you, between your legs. Just thinking about what was to come was making you feel excited. You never felt this way before. This desire, these sensual touches, Keith’s hand upon your thigh, stoking it indefinitely. You wanted him. You really wanted him. And his lips were communicating he wanted a similar thing, you. 

Keith was pushing his weight on you and you shifted yourself, lifting your feet off the ground and placing them on the bed. At the same time, Keith was leaning forward, pushing you until you were directly under him and your back touched the sheets. For the whole time, he never left your lips, and for the first time, Keith’s weight felt heavy against yours. He was so close, it was almost unbearable. Your bra was scratching his chest and you wanted it off. Keith felt the same way, he departed from you shortly and he looked down upon you with unfamiliar eyes. You almost couldn’t recognize him. Those hazy dark eyes were drunk off of desire. He was blind to the world around him. You were his light to his surroundings, and you were leading him into a world where he can become one with you. 

“May I…?” When he spoke, his voice was low and nearly out of breath. He was smiling, his fingers brushing your bra straps.

You smiled back at him, nodding slightly. “You may.” And it earned you a short kiss. His fingers trailed down your chest and slipped under your body to feel for the hooks of your bra. You lifted yourself slightly from the bed until you felt the hooks release. Your bra collapsed, and lazily covered your breasts. If it wasn’t for your hand, one of your nipples would’ve slipped into view. You were still holding it to your chest, and strangely, you started feeling a bit shy. Keith’s eyes never lay themselves on this part of your body. Insecurity wrapped itself around your heart, squeezing it tightly until it almost hurt to breathe. _What if it’s not what he’s expecting?_ The thought crossed your mind and it was as if Keith read it. 

“You’re beautiful, you know that.” Keith spoke softly, shifting himself slightly. You felt something touch your inner thigh, but you didn’t dwell on it. Instead, you focused on his hand that was caressing your hip like how he did when he helped you walk again. It felt like he was comforting you, telling you to not be afraid of showing yourself. He was right. Keith loved you. He would love you exactly the way you are, imperfections and all. 

You removed your hand from your chest, pulling your bra away with it. Your bosoms were in clear view, and Keith inhaled at the sight of them. 

“See?” He was breathless, his eyes traced the curvatures, his hand moved to grasp the soft flesh. He was wide eyed, his face turned into one of amusement as he fondled them like a child who discovered a new toy. His thumb brushed across your nipple, and you flinched at the pleasure that lightly spread within you. It settled down until his thumb touched there again, your nipple growing hard under his touch. 

You shifted uncomfortably, foreign to his pleasurable touches. You turned your head to the side, cheeks flushed as you were embarrassed to look at your boyfriend. This made Keith smile, he held your boob in his hand and leaned down to kiss your exposed neck. He sucked and kissed your soft skin. You scurried under him as if to escape him, but your hips ended up colliding with his. That “something” you felt against your inner thigh before was now against your underwear, touching your clit through the cotton cloth. It felt hard, and it was something that had never touched you there before. It was Keith. 

“Agh…” A breathless groan in your ear and a slight move of his hips. He was moving, moving as he resumed kissing your neck. The friction between his boxers and your underwear was almost unbearable. He was rubbing himself on your clit in a unrhythmic motion. It was messy, sloppy, but somehow every stroke felt amazing.

“Keith…” You moaned, your arms went around his neck and held him against you. Your fingers traveled until they reached his black hair. They combed his black strands like how they always did when you cuddled with him. He loved it. He always did.

You grew curious. You couldn’t help it. There was so many emotions you felt that your heart almost couldn’t take it. You knew you shouldn’t be thinking about it, but you couldn’t stop it from crossing your mind. How would this all feel if Keith was your soulmate? You felt everything, from the sensitivity of your nipples to the toe-curling pleasure of your clit. But you didn’t feel anything from your mark. You didn’t feel anything from there. And it was hurting you. 

“Keith.” You called his name, but it was different from before. It wasn’t in a cry of pleasure, but a call for attention. As hard as it was, Keith stopped in his movements, lifting his head from your neck to look you in your eyes. 

“Yeah?” He wasn’t lost to pleasure just yet. He knew something was wrong. 

Your fingers remained in his hair, brushing it softly to soothe him. “Where’s your mark?” 

Keith’s eyebrows raised slightly. He was silent for a bit like he was having a conversation within himself. He wasn’t smiling anymore, and his words were almost a grumble. You were afraid you ruined the mood.

“It’s here.” His hand grabbed your wrist and guided your hand that was in his hair down to the back of his neck. You couldn’t believe it was in a place you touched all the time. You caressed the spot he directed you to, trying to see if you could feel for it but all you felt was his skin. You knew it was something you couldn’t feel for, but you stroked it in hope of a reaction happening. You couldn’t stop your next words, they came out faster than you could second-guess them. 

“Do you feel anything…?” Something changed in his eyes. You couldn’t tell what.

“I don’t need to.” He sounded cold, and you were so sure you ruined the mood. But soon, you found his lips upon your cheek and that flash of darkness he held in his features were gone. It was replaced with a soft smile. 

“What about you? Where’s yours?” Keith surveyed your body for your mark, but it was in a place where he would never guess. You were a bit embarrassed and also excited to show him. 

“Right here.” You watched Keith’s expression changed as you held your legs open, you pointed to a spot on your inner thigh and there was a mark that looked like it was shaped into a rose. It was black like a tattoo but was elegantly detailed in its design. Keith almost couldn’t look away. He slid his hand on it and he watched, like he was expecting changes, reactions, anything.

But nothing. 

You heard him sigh. A melancholy look in his eyes while he stroked your mark. You didn’t like his expression. It made you regret ever bringing it up. You sat up and brought a hand to hold his cheek, whatever he was imagining in his daze was ruined by the sweet smile you held for him.

“I don’t need to too.” You pressed your lips against his and Keith kissed back furiously than before. You pulled him toward you and he resumed his position on top of you right between your legs. Who cares about this soul mark crap? All you cared about was Keith and all Keith cared about was you. That was enough. It had to be enough. “Keith, I want you.” You moaned against his lips and you heard him hum to your plead. His lips began to kiss your jaw, and he trailed down to your neck, and then you felt him tread on virgin areas. Your breasts. Your hips. Inner thighs. Your underwear. He pressed his lips on the lightly moist cotton cloth directly where your entrance is. You shivered at the slightest touch, and he wasn’t even touching it directly. You were so sensitive to him, but you couldn’t help but crave more. You wanted more of this new pleasure. You wanted more of Keith.

“K-Keith…” Your legs shook with anticipation. 

“I’m taking it off.” He stated, his hands reaching for the rim of your panties. He slipped it off, tracing your curves with his fingertips until he reached your feet. He tossed your underwear aside and it landed on top of your robe and his shirt. Keith gazed at your vagina. It was so beautiful, Keith couldn’t believe he was going to be your first. His thumb brushed between the folds of your vagina. He struggled a bit in finding your clit at first and rubbed areas that added nothing to the thrill. But when his fingers first bumped the swollen flesh of your vagina, your toes curled, and the moan Keith heard was your loudest one yet. So, he continued rubbing that area, adding pressure to his fingertips. And with every stroke, your legs grew wider and trembled with pleasure. Your fingers curled into your sheets as a need to hold something. You felt his lips against your thigh, and his fingers found a rhythm that was easily pushing you closer to the edge. 

“I’m putting it in.” He told you, glancing up briefly to look in your eyes. You didn’t know what he meant when you heard him, but you suddenly felt something teasing at your entrance. It plunged in your heated hole, your brows furrowing at the uncomfortable feeling that had just emerged between your legs. It wasn’t exactly like the pleasure you felt before, and it also wasn’t exactly pain. But Keith moved it in and out of you with the same rhythm as he did your clit. You knew it was too small to be his penis and he would’ve been hovering over you if he was inside. You looked down with your hooded eyes and Keith was sitting up. His eyes were on your vagina, intently watching his fingers pumping in and out. You didn’t notice his boxers were gone. You couldn’t remember when he took them off, but you saw him softly stroking his standing penis. It was the first time you saw it. It was much bigger than his fingers, and you somewhat grew nervous. If his fingers were making you uncomfortable, then how would it feel if he was inside? 

You felt his fingers leave you, leaving a raw almost empty feeling inside. His fingers were coated with your discharge and natural lubricant. It made them sticky but slippery at the same time, and you felt it when he grabbed your hips. He pulled you closer to him, to his penis to be exact. It was hovering over your entrance, hard and ready to go in. Before Keith did anything, he leaned over to you and kissed you softly. You held his head with your hands, accepting the tongue that pushed passed your lips. A hum left you as you felt his hips move slightly against you. He was rubbing you with his cock again and it felt so good that you rolled your eyes closed. You inhaled sharply and exhaled out a moan you couldn’t stop. You heard Keith’s heavy groan, it vibrated softly in your mouth as the taste of Keith was making you go delirious. 

“I love you, Keith…” Your breathless words of love made Keith smile softly, his heart fluttered in ways he couldn’t describe. Seeing that flushed beautiful face of yours telling him that you loved him made him the happiest man in the world. You were his, and he was yours. 

“I love you too… so much.” His smile was shining, you swear it would blind you. It was shimmering like the sweat that glazed his face, glistening under the dim light of your lamp. He kissed you again, gently without tongue, before pulling away to sit up. Keith placed his hand on your thigh and his other hand was holding his dick near your wet entrance. You felt it nudged against your opening, and slowly Keith pushed in.

You yelped. 

It was nothing like you ever felt before. 

The pain was like you were being split into two down there.

Keith pushed all the way in until his dick filled your insides. A heavy moan left him as he felt you tightly surround him. It sounded like he was in pain with his grunts, he shut his eyes tightly and his breathing was heavy. You felt the slight move of his hips, probably to adjust to the new sensation. He then moved to hover over you, his hands gripped the sheets between you, and his dark eyes were staring right at your face. He wanted to see every reaction, every expression. He wanted to soak in this moment. This moment of finally becoming one with you. 

He started to move and just as he expected, your face changed. The moan that left you was of pain but also something else. Your face twisted into something of discomfort, and you used your hand to lightly scratch his arm. He was moving a little too fast, his thrusts were sloppy and uneven. You didn’t know what it was, but you guessed he was nervous. He didn’t want to hurt you. He was afraid to hurt you. 

“Keith, it hurts.” You told him, and he stopped. His brows knitted together. 

“I’m sorry, ____.” He grunted. 

“It’s okay.” You assured him, stoking his arm. “I think it’ll go away. Just go a little slow.”

He gave a small smile and leaned down to kiss you. He lowered himself down on his forearms. He was closer to you than before, his weight almost completely on you. He was kissing you when he started to move. This time, slowly, like what you told him. You felt every thrust he gave you. It was painful at first, but you were so captured by Keith’s lips that you didn’t notice it had soon faded away and replaced itself with pleasure, blow after blow. 

You called his name through a moan, feeling his dick stroked you every time he pushed back in. Keith moved to hug you, his arms hooking under yours and his hands holding your shoulders as his head rested on the crook of your neck. You put your arms around him, your hand holding and gripping the back of his head. He was increasing his speed, and you were moving with his body, rocking each other in a sea of pleasure. Keith was moaning in your ear, his breath hitched like he could barely breathe. It was brushing against your neck in hot waves that tickled your flushed skin.

“Shit.” A breathless curse left Keith, and it was deep and rough against your ear. You thought he sounded hot, breathing and moaning in your ear. You couldn’t believe you were making him like this. You wondered if Keith was being turned on by your moans.

“Aah… ah…!” You didn’t know what Keith did, but you suddenly felt pressure and pleasure shot up your lower stomach all at once. His thrusts became heavy, and he was growing sloppy almost like before. It felt like his dick was hitting something within you, and you weren’t sure what it was. Whatever it was, it was giving you a powerful feeling. It was like your body was building up for something, all that pent up pleasure blow after blow wanted to be released. You called Keith’s name in desperation. You wanted to tell him how you were feeling but your mouth was full of pants and moans. He didn’t respond to you by words, but you felt his lips upon your neck for a short moment. 

He knew what was coming. You were fisting his hair now, your legs lazily shaking in the air, your toes curled, and your moans loud with every push of his hips. _It’s coming! It’s coming!_ You chanted in your mind, wanting to scream it out to Keith. But you were too deep in your euphoria, too drunk off of his thrusts like it was an aphrodisiac that flowed through your bloodstream. His fucking was too much for you. His kissing was too much for you. His love was too much for you. Everything was too much for you. You couldn’t take it. You couldn’t hold it. 

All it took was one more thrust, and finally, you had your first orgasm.

You stilled your movements, your legs crossing over Keith’s back as you came. It felt good finally releasing all that pressure. It ended in large waves of pleasure that shook your hips and legs. Keith could tell you came by how tight you felt on his dick. He wasn’t too far behind as he continued thrusting himself into you. 

You relaxed your limbs. Your legs remained wide for Keith to finish, and you felt him moving faster and harder against you. He was groaning in your ear, his movement almost animalistic, and his pants heavy with lust. He started calling your name through his moans. He was barely getting the syllables out, but he chanted it as if it was a prayer. His voice laced with passion and love. 

You were combing your fingers through his black locks, just the way he liked it. You were still moaning, but softly, almost like a whisper as you stared up at the ceiling above your head. You were in a daze. Everything was a blur except for the dick between your legs and Keith’s deep, rough vocals against your neck. It felt surreal. Like it wasn’t real. You weren’t a virgin anymore and neither was Keith. The two of you made love tonight, soulmates or not. It was almost hard to believe. 

You closed your eyes, and Keith let out a long low moan. 

You felt his hips still themselves and Keith soon collapsed, panting wildly on your shoulder. You kissed his forehead, joining him in his breathing frenzy. You were exhausted. All you wanted to do was just lie there in the afterglow with Keith in your arms. 

It didn’t take long for him to recover enough to move. He picked himself up slightly to kiss you. It was a lazy kiss, filled with no effort but you felt the love from it. There was no need for words. He kissed your lips, and then your cheek, and soon rolled off of you. He kept one arm under you, and you moved onto your side to stay closer to him. Your arm went over his side, bringing you to his chest. You felt him kiss you on your forehead and it brought a small tired smile on your face. You kissed his collarbones. There was no need for words. For it couldn’t describe how happy you were feeling in his arms right now, how happy you felt when his lips touched your skin, how happy you felt when he whispered I love you.

You sighed softly and closed your eyes. The afterglow of your orgasm cradling you to sleep. 

But, suddenly, you gasped. Your eyes snapped open and you jumped slightly in bed. Keith suddenly sat up and groaned, bringing a hand to his forehead. 

“W-What is that?” You yelled, covering your ears to a ringing noise similar to an alarm that sounded loudly around the room, and possibly throughout the whole castle. You looked to Keith and he combed his hair back with his fingers in frustration. If it wasn’t for this noisy sound, you would’ve told him he looked handsome with his hair back. He looked at you shortly, a sigh leaving him as he answered your question. 

“A distress call.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, promises weren't made. 
> 
> Writing sex scenes are honestly my favorite but i'm not too sure if this series would have a lot of it. Also to make things clear, Keith's mark is on the back of his neck, his hair or his jacket usually hides it. Reader's mark is on her inner thigh, the left one to be specific. As for Shiro's... well we'll find out in the future. Until next week, guys!


	14. Suspicion

**Chapter XIV: Suspicion**

 

“A distress call?” You asked, watching Keith stand up from the bed. You took this time to clearly look at Keith’s nude body without being under the influence of desire. He was really well built. You could tell he worked out regularly. You blushed softly, your eyes glancing down at his flaccid penis. You couldn’t believe that was inside of you, and also how good it felt. It did hurt a lot at the beginning, but in the end, you were just begging for more. 

“Yeah, means someone’s in trouble nearby.” Keith started picking up his clothes from the floor. He even picked yours up and placed them on the bed. 

“So that means you have to go?” Keith picked up the sadness in your voice as he pulled his shirt over his head. He sighed and stopped to look at you. You were laying on your side, completely in the nude. He had to stop himself from thinking inappropriately. 

“Yeah.” He didn’t like the frown on your face but there was nothing he could. It was his duty as a Paladin of Voltron. “But I’ll be back soon. You should just rest until I do.” 

“Is it at least okay if I watch you guys prepare?” 

Keith was by your side, his eyes looked like he didn’t want you to join. His hand on your leg was caressing it delicately. “Maybe you should just rest your legs. You were in pain, weren’t you?” 

Your frown deepened. “But it’s not like I used them, Keith. I’ll be okay. You know, I’m stronger than you think.” 

“Heh, never said you weren’t.” He chuckled, his smile cheerful as ever. He gave your leg a small pat before he leaned in to kiss you. You hummed to his sweet lips before he departed. But he didn’t move far. His hand was on your blushing cheeks, brushing it softly with his thumb. “I guess you win. Go get ready.” 

You cheered when he said this and gave him a kiss on the cheek. This would be your first time walking around in the castle. Since you came here, you only grew acquainted to your room and the hallway that led to the bathroom. You’ve been craving to see more of this place. This place that the Paladins call home.

You jumped out of bed in a hurry. A little too fast than you could handle, and you stumbled on your weakened legs. You regained your balance, but you also gained a look from Keith. 

“I’m fine!” You smiled, patting your legs. You had to admit you were a little shaky on them. And there was a soreness that appeared shortly after you stood up, but it wasn’t anything you couldn’t handle. The soreness was just a reminder of what took place a few minutes ago. You softly blushed when you looked at your sheets and saw there was a small red stain on middle of the bed. You knew for sure that wasn’t your period and it could only be just more evidence that your virginity was taken by Keith. Somehow, you still couldn’t believe it. That man standing on the other side of the bed was kissing and fucking you just moments ago. The evidence was all there and yet, it still felt surreal. Keith and you were closer than ever before, and it was something you had to get used to. 

You soon got dressed and you left the room with Keith, unintentionally hand in hand. You had the urge to stay near Keith. You couldn’t explain it, but you didn’t want to separate from Keith after what you two did. You thought maybe this feeling was because Keith was actually your soulmate. Maybe the mark just didn’t work out in space. 

When you and Keith left the room, Pidge was fast walking down the hall. She spotted the two of you and called out to Keith, but she stopped right in her tracks when she saw the two of you holding hands. 

Keith let go of your hand, and the sudden motion of it made you briefly look at him. You guessed Keith still didn’t want to tell the rest of the Paladins about his relationship with you. You admitted it made you a little sad. 

“Uhh, why were you two just holding hands? And why are you coming out of her room this late?” It was something Pidge couldn’t avoid this time. She looked between you two like she demanded an answer. You couldn’t look at her, instead, you looked to Keith who was staring back at Pidge with a neutral expression.

“Come on, we gotta head to the bridge.” He said, pulling you along when he started to walk down the hall. As you expected, Keith didn’t want to disclose his relationship with you to Pidge for whatever reason. You didn’t have a clue why, or what was even the harm in them finding out.

Pidge clearly didn’t like that Keith ignored her question. She made a sound of annoyance, but she didn’t say anything after. She followed Keith and you in silence. 

As you guys were walking through the halls, you were finally able to see new sights. You were completely amazed with the castle. You’ve never seen such high technology in your life before and you were taken aback by the detailing in the design. You already thought that hallway leading to the bathroom was impressive, you didn’t think it could get better than that. Keith first stopped at his room to change into his Paladin suit. You wished you could’ve went in, but Pidge was still following you guys like a chaperone. You didn’t want her to be any more suspicious than she already is.

You, Keith, and Pidge used the elevator to reach the Bridge. There was a short hallway before you reached a large door at the end of it. It slid open as soon as Keith and Pidge came close and behind the large door was the rest of the Paladins, Allura, and Coran. 

“Took you guys long enough.” Lance folded his arms at his chest, glaring at Keith when he walked in. 

“We were sleeping, what did you expect?” Keith sounded annoyed. A sigh left him when he looked at Lance. The eyes you had on Keith was one of amazement. He lied so easily to him. On the other hand, you were feeling a little sheepish. None of the Paladins had a clue on what just went on in your bedroom, on what you and Keith was doing just 20 minutes ago. Your cheeks warmed up at the thought of the Paladins’s oblivion. In a way, it was making you feel a bit naughty. 

Pidge glanced at Keith when he spoke, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. She didn’t believe his words. It didn’t make sense to her, but she didn’t bring it to light. Taking care of the distress call was more important to her.

“So, who’s contacting us?” She stepped towards her bridge chair on the left side of the room. She climbed in and almost immediately began typing away at the holographic screen floating in front of her. The rest of the Paladins gathered near Shiro and Allura who began filling them with information about the distress call. You couldn’t really understand all the technical terms they were using, but you got the gist that a small ship nearby was in trouble.

“Glad that you can join us, Miss ____!” Coran smiled largely at you. You thought he was so sweet.

“You can just call me ____, Coran. And I’m so happy that I can see the rest of the castle now. It’s so beautiful!”

“Yes, impressive, isn’t it? My grandfather built this castle about 10,000 years ago.” There was a prideful look on his face and you listened intently on Coran’s historical explanation about the Castle of Lions. It was amazing how much time and effort went into building this place. The Alteans were really an intelligent species. Not only did they have long life spans, but it seemed like they were possibly the most advance species in the galaxy. You were more than impressed.

“Entertaining her with your history lessons, Coran?” An elegant voice sounded from behind Coran and it was from the princess who had just finished talking with the Paladins.

“She seemed rather interested in the architecture of the castle, princess. I couldn’t help myself!”

“Coran’s grandfather was really something.” You looked to the ceiling and around the room. “I definitely couldn’t design anything close to this.” 

Coran gleamed at your compliment. He was proud of his lineage. You could tell by how passionate he talked about his history. You looked to Allura, remembering something when you did. “Allura. I wanted to thank you for the makeup you gave me.” You looked bashful as you said this. Your eyes downward as you felt your cheeks warm up. 

“Oh, yes. I hoped it came in handy.” You heard her chuckle softly. She glanced behind her at the Paladins. You wondered who she was looking at, but you found Keith standing with his teammates, listening to Shiro. You were quickly reminded of how Keith looked on top of you, moving, moaning, kissing you. Your blush deepened, and your words came out in a stutter.

“H-H-Hm-mm, yeah. It-it did.” Allura met with your eyes again. Her smile was bright and beautiful. She had the looks worthy of a princess.

“Well, I’m glad.”

“Princess! We found the coordinates.” Shiro called from behind and Allura said her farewells before walking to the middle of the room. She was standing under a large glowing crystal. You watched curiously as two pillars rose from the platform under her. _Is that how she controls the castle?_ The thought crossed your mind, and all the Paladins went to their designated seats. Keith was to the right of Allura. Pidge was to the left. Lance was behind Keith, and Hunk was behind Pidge. As for Shiro, he was in front of Allura. And Coran was in front of Shiro. 

“The signal was weak, but we managed to get a location not too far from here.” Pidge was typing away at her screen. She stopped for a moment to hold her chin and observed the information on the screen. 

It looked really cool to watch the Paladins get ready for a mission. You heard stories from Keith, but to see it in action was a whole other book. Everyone looked so focus, and they worked together as a true team. But you felt a question come into your mind that you couldn’t let go and you looked around the room at every taken seat. 

“Um, is there anywhere I can sit before we take off?” You measly called out, afraid to break the Paladin’s concentration. But they weren’t annoyed by your sudden question, in fact, Lance was ecstatic to offer you a seat. 

“You can sit right here with me,” said Lance, patting the space he created in his chair. “I’m sure we can get to know each other better.” A smile was on his face, but his eyebrows were rising and falling suggestively.

“Lance, shut up and concentrate on the launch.” You heard Keith spoke, rather aggressively, yet his tone stayed flat. He was looking at his holographic screen, anticipating Lance’s whiny vocals to come any second.

“Don’t tell me to shut up! What? I can’t offer her a seat?” 

“No. You can’t.” Keith said slowly, snapping his head to look at the Cuban man as his eyes narrowed. 

“And why not? It’s not like you two are dating or anything.”

Lance’s teasing remark made Keith quieter than a mouse which was very unusual for the dark eyed teen. It seemed like everyone was waiting for something to be said, the awkward silence made the Paladins eyes wander to Keith who resumed looking at his screen with an annoyed look on his face. He didn’t say a word and it only made the room more awkward. You shifted to the uncomfortable ambiance that had settled in between the Paladins. Not knowing what to do, you started walking towards Keith’s chair, your words flying out faster than Lance’s could. 

“It’s okay, guys. I’ll just sit with Keith. If Keith doesn’t mind.”

“Sure.” Keith quickly grumbled and scooted over without looking your way.

You could tell he was upset. His back was hunched, his brows were knitted together and that frown on his face was so apparent, it was twitching with rage. Keith had a temper. It was pretty obvious. And it was easily triggered whenever it involved you in a distasteful situation. And as much as Keith wanted to tell Lance off, he couldn’t without sounding like some possessive boyfriend.

“It’s okay.” Keith heard your soft voice beside him. He glanced to find himself staring at your smile. You squeezed yourself in the space he created for you, and your legs were completely squashed against his. It must’ve been uncomfortable for you, especially against the hard metal of the bridge chairs. It would’ve been easier if you just sat between his legs, but with the presence of all the Paladins neither you or Keith had the courage to suggest it.

 

The planet that was the location of the distress call was quite small. It was smaller than Thetis and Thetis was tiny for a planet. It was completely orange with white streaks covering it that was either gas or clouds. It was orbiting around a distant sun that was shining its rays on the castle. And it had no moons, not like it needed it anyway, the planet looked dry as a desert.

Keith stood up as soon as the planet was in view, which freed your legs from its small prison. It was honestly starting to hurt you, but you didn’t say a word to Keith. You knew he would worry himself to death if you did. 

Keith, Lance, and Hunk were the only ones that stood up and walked in front of what you assumed was an individual elevator for each Paladin.

“You’re not taking everyone?” You looked to Shiro who was standing from his seat and observing the small planet through the large window of the bridge. 

“We have to survey the area first for the exact location.” Pidge answered instead, sitting back in her seat. “And then if they need back up, we’ll join them. Most of the time these distress calls get solved with just the lions. No need for Voltron.”

“Awww…” You expressed your disappointment through a groan. You thought this was your chance to finally see the whole crew in action. Your eyes returned to Shiro when you noticed him chuckling at your reaction. He turned slightly with his usual smile on his face.

“You really wanted to see Voltron, huh?”

“After all the stories Keith’s been telling me? Heck yeah! Voltron’s so cool. You guys are really inspiring, you know?” There was something you said that softened Shiro’s look. He looked as if he appreciated your words and you couldn’t deny that his handsome looks were pleasing to look at. He was fully facing you now and his hand was casually on his hip.

“I’m sure you’ll eventually see Voltron. Maybe not today, but some day.” 

“I can’t wait.” You rested your head on your knuckles and a yawn rolled through and stretched your vocals. You were exhausted. You couldn’t hide it, but you didn’t want to sleep alone without Keith. You had to stay up, at least until he came back. Shiro noticed, and you knew he was going to say something about it. 

“You know you don’t have to stay up for this, ____. This might take a while.” 

“Y-Yeah…” You felt yourself drifting off, but you straightened yourself in Keith’s chair to wake up more. You winced at the sudden pain that throbbed in your vagina. And suddenly, it became very uncomfortable to sit. You were sore from before, it made sense, so you picked your legs up from the ground and turned them to lay on your side. You folded your arms on the armrest and laid your head on top of them. It was the worst position to be in because you could easily fall asleep, but it was the only thing you could think of that could put less pressure on your vagina. “But I’ll be okay. I want to see you guys in action.” 

“Are you sure, ____?” You heard Allura spoke, the concern in her voice was obvious. 

“Yeah, definitely. I can stay up! No problem!” You picked your head up to smile at her. You knew the looks that appeared on their faces showed they doubted your words. Even you couldn’t fully believe yourself. Keith wore you out and your body couldn’t lie about it. You just hoped Keith would return soon so that you could sleep together.

  

When he heard the light snores from behind him, Shiro knew you had fallen asleep. It’s been an hour since Keith, Lance, and Hunk left for the distress call and it was only a matter of time for them to come back. Keith alerted the castle that everything was under control and that soon the mission would be complete. Apparently, a civilian ship crash landed onto that planet because they had a leaking fuel tank. They’ve been stuck there for a couple of days, trying to radio any nearby ships for help. Luckily, they were able to contact the Voltron crew and finally be saved. 

Shiro turned slightly to glance at you. You haven’t been with the crew for long but strangely, it felt like you’ve been with them forever. There was something about you that Shiro couldn’t put his finger on and he also noticed you looked like someone. It was honestly driving him nuts. The more he stared at you, the more unclear it got.

You groaned in your sleep and shifted softly. Shiro could tell that chair was uncomfortable for you. If he wasn’t busy monitoring the mission, he would’ve carried you to your room already. As he watched you shiver in the chair, he thought of another thing that could make you feel a bit more comfortable.

Shiro walked out of the Bridge for a moment and when he returned, a white cover was bundled up in his arms. He walked over to you and held it out to cover you. But before he did, he caught sight of a strange pattern on your neck and collarbones. It looked like blemishes on your skin, like you got bit by a bug or something. Shiro knew that couldn’t be from a bug since there was none in space. It was making him a little uneasy as they looked awfully familiar, like someone had—

“Everything okay?”

Allura’s voice pulled Shiro from his thoughts. He quickly looked to her and then back at you.

“Y-Yeah, everything’s fine.” He then moved to cover you and your shivering instantly ceased. A soft smile settled in your features as you snuggled with the covers. 

“Thank you…” He heard you mumble and it almost froze him. He didn’t expect you to speak at that moment. He assumed you woke up but soon he heard your soft snores. It made him sighed in relief at your quiet form and a smile softened his face.

“You’re welcome.” He said almost as quietly as your mumble before he returned to monitor the mission. He was concentrating more intently than before as he felt like if he didn’t, his mind would be stuck on those blemishes on your neck. He didn’t want to come to a conclusion of those marks. He thought it would be best to stay oblivious. 

 

Keith, Lance, and Hunk returned after another hour. As they came in, Keith and Lance were arguing about something that happened during the mission and Hunk was face palming, asking Shiro not to let him work with these two alone again. Pidge was chuckling at the scene as Shiro tried to calm them down. Allura and Coran was also amused at the sight.

“Where’s ____?” Keith didn’t waste any time asking where you were once everything settled down. Shiro pointed to his chair and said you were asleep. It didn’t fail to bring a smile to his face at Shiro’s mention and he whispered, “Of course she did” to himself before walking over to your sleeping form. The Paladins watched Keith intently as he moved to carry you bridal style, leaving the cover you were using behind. You were deep in your sleep, too tired to realize the shift in locations, but you did groan softly and mumbled Keith’s name subconsciously.

“Hey.” He replied to you, knowing full well you wouldn’t answer. He couldn’t stop that large smile growing on his face the longer he looked at you in his arms. You looked so beautiful and peaceful, like a sleeping angel who was tired out from her duties. He didn’t know what he did to deserve you.

The Paladins watched as Keith carried you out of the Bridge. They were silent until Keith disappeared behind the large door and Lance’s voice was the first to break it.

“Did you guys just see the look on his face?”

Hunk was next, his eyes wide. “Dude, I didn’t even know Keith could smile.”

“You guys are exaggerating. Keith’s smiled before.” Pidge mumbled, but she was also suspicious. Her eyes were stuck at the door.

“Nah, that kind of smile… The dude’s in love!” Lance exclaimed, not particularly happy about it. “How did Keith get a girlfriend before me??”

“We don’t know if they’re dating or not. To be honest, it’s none of our business either.” Pidge shrugged, trying not to look too interested in you and Keith’s relationship.

“Well, ____ did ask for makeup when she talked with me earlier.” When Allura spoke, Hunk, Lance, and Pidge crowded around her with faces of disbelief. They pestered her with questions that surprised Allura at their sudden gusto.

“Yes! Once the princess was done with her, ____ looked amazing! Like a different woman, honestly.” Coran said his share which Allura nodded to.

Shiro was listening to the conversation in silence. Allura’s words reminded him of when he visited you to tell you the news about Thetis. He remembered you were wearing makeup and how he found it strange. What was stranger was that he clearly remembered those blemishes were absent from your neck at that time. The robe you were wearing didn’t do any justice in covering your neck and chest and a simple slip of the robe would’ve exposed you. He remembered you admitted you loved Keith, your face red as a rose. He remembered the time Keith came to him for advice and how vague he was when talking with him. He seemed nervous and his face was flushed with an expression similar to yours, like a newly blossomed rose.

It couldn’t be anymore obvious when Shiro put two and two together.

“Shiro? You okay?” Lance’s voice was oddly high pitched when he asked. The Paladins were looking to Shiro, all with worried eyes on their faces. Shiro hadn’t noticed how furrowed his eyebrows became when he was deep in his thoughts. He quickly looked at their faces in shock like he was caught thinking something he shouldn’t. He smiled to relieve them. 

“Y-Yeah, I’m good. I’m just a bit tired. I’m going to head off, alright?” He waved them off as he walked towards the door.

“Alright! I propose we spy on them!” Shiro overheard Lance as he walked away but he was too caught up on what he thought about. He believed he was overthinking this and that maybe he was just mentally tired. There was no other way he could think of this but strangely, he didn’t want to arrive at this conclusion. A sigh was spilling from his lips and he wasn’t surprised to feel that dull pain around his temples. Yeah, maybe he was just tired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shiro, baby, it's okay! You probably are just tired lol
> 
> Thanks for the comments and Kudos, guys! You guys are amazing, and I love all of you! <3 <3
> 
> Oh yeah, I also have a tumblr (NekokoaFanfictions), where I take requests and stuff. I mostly write bnha but I also write Voltron! Requests are closed for now but they'll be open pretty soon! Until next time, loves! <3


	15. Liar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update guys! You know, the new season of voltron came out and I was binge watching it during the whole weekend lol Man, the fandom's in uproar, huh? What's new, am I right? lol
> 
> Anyway enjoy chapter 15! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! You guys are soooo precious to me <3 Like seriously, you guys tell me you freak out when I update, but I freak out when you guys comment or give me kudos! lol

**Chapter XV: Liar**

Keith pulled you in for a soft kiss, his lips gently moved against yours as your hands found their way to the back of his neck, caressing his hair and the mark imprinted on his skin. His arms were around you with his hands clasped together and he moved your hips forward so that they settled on his lap as you straddled him. You hummed softly as he nibbled on your bottom lip, then his tongue pushed passed your lips without so much of a warning. Still, you accepted it without any protest, dancing with his tongue that slithered around in your mouth. You couldn’t stop the moan that slipped past your lips when Keith leaned forward to get even closer. It made you slightly lean away but the arms around you kept you in place. 

You felt the heat pool within your lower stomach, the familiar sensation bringing you back to your first night with Keith. The memories flowed through your mind with desire along every step. If it wasn’t for your rational thoughts, then perhaps you would’ve considered Keith taking you for the second time.

“Keith…” You breathed, his lips moved to your neck and your head turned slightly to allow him better access. “We need… to get going.” You closed your eyes, feeling yourself lose to the pleasure spreading through your body. It felt like desire was controlling you, and your body in full betrayal while your words were the only thing you trusted. “They’re waiting…”

“I know.” Keith sighed through his pants, his voice was low and filled with lust. He glanced at you from your neck and his eyes were heady as it was the first time he took you. “Just a little bit more, okay?” 

He sounded desperate and you didn’t say anything as he resumed kissing your neck.

Ever since you lost your virginity to Keith, Keith hasn’t been able to get his hands off you. It was like you unlocked a new level of your relationship and ever since he had a taste of that level, he just kept coming back for more. Whenever he had the chance, he would hug you from behind, sometimes kissing your neck as he swayed with your body. He would kiss you randomly especially when you least expected it. He loved that surprised look on your face and the feeling of your body tensing at the sudden kiss. Somehow, all this secrecy business between your relationship and the Paladins made Keith excited and he would kiss you in areas outside of your room where the Paladins could easily walk in. One time, he kissed you in the kitchen from behind just before Hunk walked in. It left you a blushing mess and Hunk suspicious, but Keith acted like nothing happened and continued to drink his cup of water.

“Seriously, Keith.” You moaned, feeling Keith’s rising erection against your thighs. You knew if you didn’t stop him now, he would flip you on your back and wouldn’t stop until he has made love to you. You weren’t going to let that happened as much as you wanted it too. You softly pushed at his chest, and he pulled away from your neck to look at you. “Keith. We gotta go.”

You sounded serious and it hurt to see Keith’s pouting face as you left his lap, but the Paladins were waiting for you. They wanted to celebrate your fast recovery, so they threw you a special dinner with Hunk as the chef, of course. Allura told you that dinner was ready, so you went to change your clothes to something better. While you were injured, Keith went out and bought several clothes for you from a nearby planet. You were grateful because you had to leave your belongings at your apartment back in Thetis. So, Keith’s quick thinking saved you a lot of trouble.

“We’ll continue later tonight, alright?” You smiled softly at him and it wiped the pout he had on. He got up from the bed, and you found his arms around you. He pressed his lips to your cheek and smiled.

“Can’t wait.”

 

Once you dressed yourself up, You and Keith headed to the dining area that the paladins usually ate at. It was your first time seeing the large dining hall. You entered through the archway, Keith quickly unhanding you before the paladins had a chance to see you two holding hands. Your eyes were upon the large table that had several plates of foods scattered around it. Your teeth were shown through the smile that shaped your lips and your heart warmed at the sight of the Paladin crew gathered at the table, their kind eyes and smiles directed at you. Keith’s arm was around your shoulder and you felt his hand give it a squeeze. You looked at him and a similar expression was on his face.

“Guys…  This is just…” You were so happy it rendered you speechless. 

“Congrats on your recovery, ____!” Pidge said, pulling a chair out and motioning for you to sit. You gladly sat in the chair, and your eyes glanced over the different kinds of food on the table in front of you. Your mouth was just drooling at the sight. Your tongue became very accustomed to alien cuisine since your time at Thetis, so you were excited to try some of Hunk’s cooking.

The rest of the Paladin crew took their seats. Keith sat to your right while Pidge was to your left. Lance was next to Pidge, and Shiro, Allura, Coran, and Hunk was sitting on the opposite side.

When your eyes surveyed the table, you honestly weren’t sure what to eat first. There was this colorful looking casserole that reminded you of lasagna that sat not too far away from you and it looked absolutely delicious. There was also a plate of what you assumed was burritos. At the center of the table, there was a baked alien animal that you couldn’t tell the species of. If you didn’t know any better, you would’ve thought it was chicken even though it was purple in color.

“Want this?” Keith caught your attention and pointed to colorful lasagna in front of him. You nodded excitedly, and a small, short laugh brought a smile to his face. He loved how happy you looked, especially when it came to food. He stood up briefly to cut into the lasagna for you and he took your plate and dropped your piece on it. You were grasping for your plate when Keith handed it back to you, and you didn’t hesitate to grab your fork and dig in.

“Hunk!” You exclaimed as your tastebuds were in complete delight by the savory taste that had blessed them. “It’s sooooo good!” You hummed at the second bite you took, wiggling in joy as you held your cheek.

“Haha, thanks, I did what I could to make it taste more like home.”

“Well you succeeded! It’s been a while since I had something this good, honestly.”

“Hey, you didn’t like the small sandwiches I made for you?” Keith’s pouty face was back when he looked at you and you giggled softly with your mouth stuffed full of food. While you were bedridden, Keith had made you lunch a few times. You wouldn’t say Keith was the best chef, but he did try his best with the ingredients they had. You heard from Allura that she found Keith and Hunk in the kitchen one day preparing your lunch. It was quite a sight to see as Keith was hardly in the kitchen unless he’s getting a glass of water. You didn’t want to tell Keith, but you could tell the difference whether it was Keith who handled your food or Hunk. But despite the taste being different, you could tell Keith’s was made with love. 

“I did like them a lot, Keith! I know you worked really hard to make them for me. Maybe you can teach me how to make them?” The suggestion you made lit something within Keith’s mind. He thought of you and him in the kitchen together, making the sandwiches Hunk taught him and him just suddenly hugging you from behind, and flowering kisses all over your neck and shoulder. You would lean back into him and turn your head so that he could kiss you on your lips. His face softened at the scene that played in his head and he nodded at you as his words came out soft.

“Yeah, that would be nice.”

The Paladins were watching your small exchange with Keith with grins plastered on their faces. Pidge, Lance, Allura, and Hunk all looked to one another.

“So ____.” Started Allura, “You never told us how you met Keith.”

You were taken aback by her sudden question and blushed softly as you swallowed your food. The stares of the Paladins were making you feel embarrassed. “Ah, oh um… We met back in Thetis. I think Keith was on a solo mission, right?” You looked to Keith and he nodded.

“You mean that mission when we sent Keith to gather some materials for the castle?” Pidge asked.

“Hm-mm, Keith was being chased by these bandits and he fell through the window of my bedroom. He asked me to help him hide and I did. And I guess the rest is history.” You and Keith were looking at each other, eyes soft and all smiles. Explaining how you met Keith always made you feel giddy inside. You had the sudden craving to hold Keith’s hand, but you knew you couldn’t do it in front of the Paladins.

“Wow, it’s like you guys were destined to meet.” Coran spoke. 

“I-I wouldn’t say that…” You could feel your blush growing deeper, possibly spreading to your nose and ears. 

“You guys sure are close, though.” Pidge commented, taking a spoonful of food. She winked at Hunk like it was his cue.

“Yeah, like, you guys seem like friends but, like, more than friends.” He said quickly, and you froze at his words. Your eyes widened when you looked between Pidge and Hunk and you started to panic. They were clearly suggesting something, and you were trying to think of ways to deny it. Keith was silently eating his food, definitely not letting himself get involved. You weren’t sure what to say to them. You felt like if you stay quiet, it would speak a lot about your relationship, but if you were to say something, you might say the wrong thing.

“Guys, stop pestering them.” The voice of Shiro was a godsend. He tried to take the heat off you and Keith, but the rest of the Paladins weren’t having it, especially Lance.

“Look, we just wanna know if Keith and ____ are together! I mean, it’s better to say it outright, right? I’m sure we all want to know.” Lance spoke, not able to keep silent for long as the anticipation was killing him. At this time, everyone’s eyes were on you and Keith waiting for some sort of response. You knew it was only a matter of time before the Paladins cornered you on this. Even your savior, Shiro, was silently waiting for one of you to say something. You didn’t know why Keith wanted to keep this a secret from them. There wasn’t any harm in them finding out. You honestly wanted someone to talk to about Keith. There were many moments where you wanted to talk about him with Pidge or Allura, to just gush about the man you love and the things you do together. Keeping it a secret suppressed a lot of emotions that you wanted to get out, you figured it wouldn’t hurt if you just told them.

“Um, Keith and I…” You saw Keith fidget in your peripherals and he turned to look at you. You mentally apologized to him. “We—We are dating.”

The words that had just left your lips made the faces of the Paladins dropped—except for Keith, who looked visibly upset. You avoided looking at him for this reason. There was a moment of silence before Pidge spoke, excitement sparking in her light brown eyes.

“Then you guys are soulmates?” Pidge’s question stunned you for a moment, but you soon opened your mouth to speak and then Keith’s voice sounded next to you almost immediately.

“Yeah we are.”

He answered for you, well, lied for you. It wasn’t what you were going to say, you were going to tell the truth. But Keith saw to that quickly.

“What!” Lance stood up, slapping his hands upon the table. “So, you’re not just his girlfriend but his _soulmate_?!”

“I mean, on the account of how they met, it makes sense if they are.” Hunk shrugged, not too surprised at the outcome. 

“Um, if you don’t mind me asking, what’s this soulmate stuff you guys are talking about?” Allura looked to Pidge and Lance. Her face twisted into blatant confusion as she pondered over the strange word.

“Oh yeah, soulmates are probably something exclusive to humans.” Started Pidge, “humans are basically born with a mark called the _Soul Mark_ and it means that one day we’ll find someone who’s destined to be with us, our _soulmates_.”

“How does it work? Do you just know?” Allura leaned forward, interested in this phenomenon.

“They say if you touch your soulmate, you’ll know. You’ll feel your mark bloom every time you touch them, and you’ll grow to love them over time." 

Coran swallowed his food before exclaiming, “Amazing! I never knew humans had such a custom.” 

“Well, I wouldn’t call it a custom. If anything, it’s more like a curse.” Hunk shrugged.

“Why would it be a curse?” A concerned look flashed in Allura’s face, not taking it lightly that Hunk had said the word “curse.”

“Yeah, if anything it’s a blessing!” Lance added his own input as he couldn’t believe getting a free girlfriend by just touching her was a curse.

“Well think about it, what if you fall in love with someone who’s not your soulmate? Do you know how devastating that is?” Hunk brought up a point that made you and possibly Keith shudder in your shoes. He expressed his dislike about the Soul Mark very passionately. You could tell he wasn’t a fan. “The mark forces you to fall in love with your soulmate regardless of your current relationship. You’re forced to stay with whoever fate picked for you. I don’t know about you guys, but that seems like a curse to me.”

Pidge nodded, completely agreeing with Hunk. “Yeah, the only thing that can possibly free you is if your soulmate dies.”

“What happens if your soulmate dies?” Allura sounded awfully sad when she asked this.

“Your Soul Mark becomes faded but at least you’re free from following fate.” Pidge sighed softly, and Allura commented after about how sad that sounded. Pidge continued to explain how a person without a soulmate was often seen as someone who fate rejected and isn’t looked upon by other people too kindly. But she believed they were the ones who reached true freedom and freed themselves from humanity’s curse.

“Well, it’s a good thing Keith and ____ are soulmates then. You guys are very lucky to have found each other.” After a long silence from him, Shiro finally spoke. You gave him the best smile you could muster up, but it ended up being lopsided. You couldn’t smile right, especially after what Hunk had said. To you, your mark was a curse because it was fate itself that said Keith wasn’t good enough to be with you. You hoped to never meet your soulmate. Maybe being out here in space prevented you from ever meeting them.

The conversation carried on until Allura asked to see everyone’s Soul Mark to which all the Paladins declined. Lance did make a joke about showing Allura his mark, but Pidge quickly told Allura that showing your mark to someone is an intimate gesture for humans and is normally hidden because of it. You tried your best to change the subject which you successfully did with the help of Lance. It went from the topic of soulmates to your life at Thetis. You continued talking to the Paladins while Keith stayed quiet, poking at his food with his fork as he glared at it.

 

The dinner came to an end and you thanked Hunk and everyone for the celebration. Minus the reveal of you and Keith’s relationship, you actually had a good time and you hoped to always eat dinner with them from now on. You knew it was impossible for it to happen everyday because of their duties, but occasionally, it would be fun to eat together like a family.

You and Keith made it back to your room and the romantic mood that you had before you left seemed like it never even existed. Keith brushed past you and started to undress himself until he was only in his boxers and a black tank top. It was what he usually wore to bed, but strangely, it made him look even more upset like a dingy, dark aura was around him. It was uncomfortable staring at his back and the way how he handled his clothes as he picked them up from the ground spoke volumes of how he was feeling. He threw them rather aggressively into your open closet.

You weren’t sure what to say, or more like how to say it. A question bubbled within you and you found yourself stepping closer to Keith with your question at the tip of your tongue.

“Why did you lie to them, Keith?” You thought your voice was too low for him to hear as he continued getting ready for bed. But he suddenly stopped, his back towards you as he slightly turned his head to look in your eyes. Keith’s eyes were fierce, and his knitted brows only added to the anger that flashed in his dark irises. You weren’t sure if that anger was directed at you or at what took place during dinner, but clearly, Keith was upset. The sound of his voice confirmed it. Gravelly, it was, and thick with anger. It felt like it was reverberating throughout your room.

“This is why I didn’t want to tell them.” He said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, Keith is just digging his grave even further, huh? Okay! So you guys got some new information on the soulmate stuff! Let me just sum it up real quick:
> 
> 1\. Only "skin to skin" contact can make a soul mark bloom. (So if you're touching someone's clothes or a certain metal arm lol it won't bloom.)  
> 2\. Feelings of love will happen over time after contact is made. It's not instant but it will happen.  
> 3\. If your soulmate dies, whether you met them or not, your mark will look faded--kind of like a gray-ish color from it's original black.  
> 4\. Showing your mark to someone is consider an intimate gesture. (Remember? Keith and Reader had a moment where they shared their marks.)
> 
> That's pretty much it! Honestly, there's a lot more information about the mark that I haven't revealed yet, and will soon come in upcoming chapters.
> 
> If you guys want to talk about season 7 with me, just comment below. I would love to read some reactions lol Beware of spoilers in the comments though if you haven't watched or finish it.


	16. Period

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that I didn't update last week. I actually went to Canada for vacation so I couldn't finish this chapter in time! But enjoy this chapter!! Also, time skip in this chapter!

**Chapter XVI: Period**

You groaned softly, feeling a weight pressed against your chest. It was making it difficult to breathe and you squirmed around to rid of the pressure. You felt the bed shift when you did, and a deep groan sounded beside you. The weight on your chest subsided and your eyes fluttered to the ceiling hanging above your head. You realized—through the grogginess from your sleep—that it was Keith’s arm that was on your chest. He had lifted it and turned himself away from you, lying on his side as he slept peacefully with soft snores. The covers slipped off his nude body as he moved, and it loosely covered his hips.

You rubbed your eyes and sat up, your side of the covers also slipping off and exposing your bare breasts that was covered in marks from last night’s affairs. You sat there in a slight daze for a moment, gathering your thoughts as you tried to remember the events from last night.

Oh right, you were in Keith’s room. You remembered you asked to come see it before heading off to bed and… 

You blushed softly as the memories rushed back in an instant. You glanced at Keith, bringing a hand to brush your messy bundle of hair back in disbelief on how Keith acted last night. He was different, aggressive even, and it probably had to do with something Lance had said when he was teasing you and Keith. You sighed softly, you knew Keith had jealousy tendencies, but you didn’t think he was going to take them out on you. 

It’s been months since you told the rest of the Paladins about your relationship with Keith and it’s been months of relentless teasing and jokes from the Paladins ever since—mostly toward Keith, of course. They’ve been doing it on purpose to rile Keith up, taking joy in watching him react in a way that was so foreign from his usual personality. As for your relationship, it’s been the same even after Keith was angry at you for telling the Paladins about your relationship. He simply forgave you the next day and moved on. He needed time to calm down and surprisingly, a day was all he needed. As for his lie, it was never addressed again.

You stretched your arms over your head, a soft moan left you as your body cracked out the kinks in its stiff muscles. You then stood up and did a few body stretches before standing upright again. A wave of dizziness almost threw you off your feet and you had to rebalance yourself for a moment using the metal base of the bed. You didn’t know where it came from, but it blew over you like a 40 second storm and then you were back to normal. It was a strange feeling indeed, maybe you were getting a little sick.

You put on your clothes and headed for the showers. You had to stop for your room first to grab fresh clothes and a towel. And once you were clean of all the dry sweat and grime from last night, you headed for the kitchen. You were absolutely staving.

You didn’t hesitate to check the fridge. You brought out some green-looking juice that you had last night. Hunk said it was from some alien plant that you didn’t bother to remember its name. You also took out some large eggs that was blue with green dots and figured you could use this to make something close to scrambled eggs.

You started making your breakfast, bringing out the frying pan and spatula and placing them on the stove. You whisked the eggs in a bowl and added some seasoning before you poured them into the hot pan. The savory smell of eggs spread throughout the kitchen and you were going to make scrambled eggs but decided to make an omelette instead.

“Mmmm, something smells good here.”

You turned your head towards the door and smiled softly at the presence of Shiro. He was leaning on the archway, arms crossed and a dashing smile on his face before he approached you. You chuckled softly and turned back around to tend to your eggs as Shiro stood beside you. 

“Morning! I’m making an omelette, want some?” You looked to Shiro and noticed how tall he was. It was a little staggering at how much larger he was than Keith.

“Sure, would love some.” He leaned half his body on counter besides the stove and watched you skillfully flip the fluffy omelette to the other side.

“Hunk may be the chef around here, but I have some secret skills of my own.”

“Really? I’ll be the judge of that.” Shiro said playfully, taking the cup of juice that you handed to him and bringing it to his lips.

“Believe me, once you try this, you would want me to cook all the time.” You raised your eyebrows at Shiro’s doubtful expression. You knew he was just playing with you, but a weird feeling jabbed at your heart like you wanted to prove to Shiro you had the skills.

“Hmm, I don’t know. Hunk’s a pretty good chef.” He laughed.

“Alright, leader.” You smirked as Shiro’s eyes widened at the sudden title. You brought out several plates and divided the large omelette, and personally handed Shiro his plate. That same smirk plastered on your face as he took the plate out of your hands. You gave him a fork and Shiro stared at the light blue omelette and hummed dramatically like he was a judge for a cooking competition. You pushed at his arm. “Just try it already!” And it made another joyous laugh leave him.

“Alright! Alright!” As if he didn’t want to anger you any further, he took a bite from the omelette and slowly, you watched his eyes widen as he began to nod at you. He didn’t even speak as he stuffed another piece in his mouth. You just couldn’t stop smiling.

“Well…” He spoke after he swallowed. “Hunk’s fired.”

You giggled and grabbed more plates. “I can just be in charge of breakfast. It’s the least I could do, right? Help me carry these to the dining hall?” Shiro hummed in response, bringing another piece into his mouth. You took a step towards the door and you felt your body shift. It was like the floor was suddenly grabbed from underneath you and violently shaken. The whole room was swaying as the wave of dizziness brushed through you again almost knocking you off your feet. If it wasn’t for Shiro’s arm crossing over your chest and grabbing your arm, you would’ve been on the floor already. The icy feel of his metal arm felt like the only thing real at the moment.

You leaned on him until your episode subsided. Shiro had his fork in his mouth. You guessed he was eating midway as you almost fell. He quickly put his plate down and the fork was gone from his lips. He looked so concern for you, an expression completely different from the one so full of delight.

“____, are you okay?”

“Ye-Yeah, I guess I’m getting a little sick.” You ruffled your fingers in your hair for no apparent reason, maybe to shake the lingering feeling away.

“We have some medicine in the medical bay. I can get you some.”

“No-no, I’m sure it’s small. It’ll pass.” You sighed softly and soon a smile replaced the frown on your lips. “Now, let’s get these plates to the dining hall.”

Shiro could tell your energy diminished after that spell. He watched you carry those plates out of the kitchen. Afraid that you were going to feel dizzy again, he hurried after you.

 

It wasn’t long until the rest of Paladin crew joined you and Shiro for breakfast. Keith finally woken up from his slumber and he was happy to find out you had made breakfast. Even Hunk was impressed at your cooking and even wanted the recipe from you. It was honestly simple to make, you thought the Paladins were exaggerating, but you never seen them eat so fast before.

It was then when Coran brought something to everyone’s attention. A problem had arrived for the castle and apparently the castle needed teludav lenses, and the only way to get them was to go to a “swap moon”.

And that’s how you found yourself completely dressed up in a space pirate disguise with the rest of the Paladin gang. Sadly, Shiro decided to stay behind in order to strengthen his bond with the Black Lion so it was only you, Keith, Lance, Pidge, and Coran on this apparently “dangerous” journey.

You were a little thrown off at the calming atmosphere of this “swap moon” when you first entered. You were even holding Keith’s hand, preparing yourself for any danger to come your way. But as the door opened, it was just a regular mall. If anything, it reminded you of the malls on earth that you went to in the past.

 _“Everyone, let’s fan out, search the area for teludav lenses. We’ll meet by the giant ticking clock here in one Vaga.”_ Coran’s words resounded in your mind after he left, and you and the group took off your disguises. The group then split up and you wanted to tag along with Keith, but he made up an excuse and said you should go with Pidge and Lance. You had to admit you were a little down at that, but you decided to think of it as another bonding experience with Pidge and Lance. And as you guys were searching the mall for teludav lenses, you guys stumbled upon a shop that sold earth products. Pidge was ecstatic because she found an old video game that she absolutely loved. She was blabbering about it to Lance and even asked the alien shopkeeper for the price.

Meanwhile, you were walking through the aisles when you spotted something that also had you jumping for joy. The colorful boxes were lined up side by side from sizes _small_ all the way to _X-Large_ , titles like _Trojan_ to _Durex_ and even non-brand companies were on the boxes. You thought you would never be able to find this outside of Earth. _Condoms! Condoms!_ You found condoms! Finally, no more having Keith pull out during sex!

You were feeling giddy just thinking about it, grabbing the box off the shelf and waiting until Pidge left the shopkeeper alone to ask him the price. He said it was around 4000 Gac and you quickly placed the box back before Pidge and Lance could see. You had to get money somewhere.

Luckily, Pidge and Lance were already discussing plans on how to get money and Pidge dragged both you and Lance out of the store and to a large fountain in the mall that was just dazzling in money.

“We can get enough money here!” She was already rolling her jeans past her knees and she was the first one in the cool fountain, and then Lance followed after. 

You were a little hesitant at first. You weren’t sure if you should be going in water because it might make your cold even worse. But with a small push from Pidge, you decided it wouldn’t hurt and you probably wouldn’t be in there for long. You rolled up your pants past your knees and joined them in the fountain.

After about an hour, you, Pidge’s, and Lance’s pockets were stuffed with coins from the fountain. You figured this was stealing but you didn’t care. You really wanted those condoms. It would make sex with Keith safer and that’s all you wanted.

You picked up another coin and that made your 9000 Gac. You were well covered for those condoms, but you wanted to get extra just in case you found something else to buy.

“So how much have we got?” Pidge looked to Lance after picking up what was possibly the last coin from the fountain. Lance also stood up straight from his crouch with a coin in his hand.

“Eleven hundred and ninety-six Gac.” He answered.

“We’re so close!” Pidge rolled up her hands and held them to her chest, determined to find the last coin. You were about to hand them one of your coins, but Pidge’s sudden shout interrupted you. She called to Lance and pointed at an alien kid who had a coin in its hands. As the alien threw it, Lance was as fast as lightning. He jumped in the air and caught it in his mouth. You and the alien kid looked amazed, you swear you heard some dolphins sounds as he landed and the three of you took off laughing, running all the way back to the store.

Once in the store, you secretly brought the condoms once Pidge and Lance were distracted. Honestly, you were pondering over what size you should get at first. You knew Keith wasn’t small, but he also wasn’t x-large. Was he medium then? Large? You thought back to the times in bed with Keith. You couldn’t really guess as Keith’s was the first one you ever saw in person, you didn’t really have anything you could compare it to. You decided to buy both sizes. Maybe Keith can try them on and see which one fits better. 

You then had 1000 Gac left and you looked around the store to see if you could spend it on something small. Pidge had just squealed at something within the store and you followed her voice to one of the aisles and she was standing in front of a small section of the store. It was a table of feminine products and you were beginning to think where the seller could’ve possibly got this from. From tampons to pads and even cleansing products, you were surprised to see such a variety in brands even though it was such a small section.

“____! Tell me you have enough money for this!” Pidge exclaimed, picking up the package of pads from the table. She asked the shopkeeper for the price and he mumbled it was about 1000 Gac, exactly the amount you had left. “We gotta buy this!”

You laughed softly, “Sure” and took the package from her hands. Lance had walked in on the scene and he opened his mouth to speak until he saw what was in your hands. He quickly shut his mouth and walked away, leaving you to chuckle at the red that colored his cheeks. There was a wave relief that had washed over you at the sight of these pads. You were beginning to wonder what you would’ve done if you’ve gotten your… wait.

You stared down at the package as your eyes widened slowly. You felt your hands shaking slightly and your legs grew weaker under the weight of your body. Your lips were parted, shivering with the sudden realization that came to you. The ground felt like it had shifted yet again. Your heart was rattling within in your chest, faster than you ever felt it. It felt like it was being squeezed and every shallow breath you took was pained.

When… When was the last time you’ve gotten your period?

How long has it been?

Maybe more than a month or two? It was definitely past its due date. You couldn’t think straight, not with the panic slowly rising in your heart. You had to stay calm. You had to think about this calmly. You started to think about all of the moments when you had sex with Keith, and all the moments where he pulled out. You couldn’t remember a time when he didn’t. You couldn’t remember a time when _he didn’t_ , and it was making you worried. Keith kept his promise, right? He didn’t make a mistake, did he? _Shit._ You were panicking. You were shivering in your shoes at the thought of what that meant. Is that why you were feeling dizzy this morning? But maybe your period was coming—You usually get a little dizzy before your period. Maybe it was just a little late. Yeah, that could be it. Yeah, you couldn’t possibly be… _pregnant_. You gulped as you felt your chest burn at the thought. 

“____?” You heard a voice, but it was muffled by the sound of your beating heart. Everything sounded like you were underwater. It was like you were blind, deaf, and dumb, and the only thing that mattered was the panic within your mind. You were trying to come up with any excuse on why you couldn’t be pregnant. There was just no possibility! “____!” 

You jumped at the sudden call of your name and it made you drop the package of pads. It was Pidge who was calling you and you looked to her and saw her eyes full of worry behind those glasses of hers. “Are you okay? You look pale.”

You didn’t answer her yet as you went to pick up the dropped pads with your shaking hands. You looked to her with the best smile you could muster through your frantic thoughts. “I-I’m fine.” You paused, feeling your smile drop as you could no longer hold it. “I’m fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa, man. So what do you guys think? Is reader pregnant or nah? A lot less Keith in this chapter too. Heheh, it was fun to write this chapter because it was the space mall episode. I decided that some chapters would be canon but ultimately, this story won't follow it strictly. Thanks for reading guys!! And thank you for the comments and kudos and bookmarks and everything!! <3 <3


	17. We'll Get Through This Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told one of you guys that I was going to update on Sunday or Monday but I finished the chapter early so here ya go! lol

**Chapter XVII: We’ll Get Through This Together**

You woke up the next morning feeling as dreadful as you did last night. Even though you woke up with Keith’s arms around you, you still felt like your body was a bottomless pit, like you were empty and voided of the happiness you felt before. Keith was behind you, spooning you, and his arm was around your body while his hand laid delicately on your stomach. It gave you an alarming feeling and made you more aware of the problem you faced. How were you going to tell Keith that you were possibly pregnant with his child? Should you confirm it first? But how? There were no pregnancy tests at the store from yesterday which annoyed you because they seemed to have every feminine product known to man. 

You sighed heavily, bringing a hand to cover your face. You were feeling a headache coming along, and you haven’t even left bed yet.

“What’s with the sighs?” You heard Keith’s sleepy voice against your ear and you turned around to face him. You were a little surprised that he had woken up but when you looked at him, you noticed he seemed wide awake. Maybe he was awake before and you didn’t notice. You didn’t answer his question and he didn’t press on it, instead he shifted closer to you and greeted you with a kiss, a small hum leaving you as he pulled away. A tired smile graced his handsome features.

“You look beautiful in the mornings.” His voice was soft, and he stroked your cheek while he gazed at you. That empty feeling you felt before was slowly dissipating and you rest your hand on top of his, soaking up the comfort it gave you.

“How do you know it’s morning?” There was no sun nor time in the middle of space. Just infinite darkness.

“It’s morning as long as I wake up with you.”

You had to admit, his words did make you blush no matter how cheesy it sounded to you. “You’re such a sap sometimes, Keith.” You moved closer to him and leaned your forehead against him. You felt the vibrations within his chest when he chuckled softly, his large hand rubbing your back felt so soothing.

“You think? It’s the truth though.” You felt a pair of lips on the top of your head and your legs began to tangle with his under the covers. There was this soft heat that always radiated from Keith whenever you were near him, you always felt warm around him and safe from any harm. You loved being with Keith, you just only hope he would love you the same after you tell him.

 

As much as you wanted to stay in bed and forget about your worries, you had to get up. Keith also had his Paladin duties to do especially after Shiro mentioned that they were going to find The Blade of Marmora base yesterday. You had absolutely no idea what that was, but Keith seemed fairly interested in it. Based on the coordinates Coran found, it’ll take a few days to get there. For now, the Paladins were just preparing for arrival and scanning for what they could expect when they get there.

As for you, you found yourself hanging in the Lounge, blankly staring at the vidscreen that showed the outside environment of the castle. You were lazily counting every star as you were lying flat on the couches. There was a heavy feeling that hung over your body that you couldn’t quite put into words, maybe you were feeling lethargic. You were hanging out with the Paladins in the Bridge earlier, but you felt like you had to lie down to rest. You felt tired, and you wanted to sleep. You excused yourself and you could tell Keith wanted to come with you, but he had to stay for the meeting.

You honestly couldn’t tell the difference if you were pregnant or just experiencing menstrual symptoms. Everything you were feeling was what you felt when your period was near, but you also heard that pregnant women go through the same thing too. And, your period was really late. There was no explanation on why it was late too. You just… You just…

You sighed heavily, and a frustrated groan came after. You tore your eyes away from the vidscreen and flipped yourself to look to the ceiling above. You were glaring at it, suddenly feeling anger welling up inside of you, you felt your body shaking and you bit your shivering lip to calm yourself down. You took another deep breath and exhaled from your flared nose. You closed your eyes at the same time, your eyebrows knitted together until they wrinkled your forehead. You were shaking your head, and that deep frown on your lips trembled until they parted for a sharp inhale of breath to pass through.

_I just don’t know…_

Your tears were rolling down before you even realized it. You crossed your arms over your head as they blocked your eyes. Your mouth hanged open while you wept what you held in your heart. The stress was too much to handle, you felt like you were going to give out any second now and the only way you thought to handle it was to cry it out. You felt like you wanted to punch someone and at the same time, hold someone. You were angry, yet sad, and mostly worried. What were you supposed to do if Keith didn’t want to stay with you because of this? What if he breaks up with you? He doesn’t have time for a child, both of you don’t.

You hit your fist against the couch in rage. Your body was shaking to the cries and hiccups that bounced out of you. It was almost like you were wailing.

“____?” You heard your name and some footsteps hurriedly moving to you. You felt them stop in front of your sobbing form, but you were too caught up in your sorrow to address it. You didn’t care, you just wanted to cry. “____? What’s wrong? What happened?” The voice sounded so concerned for you, you almost couldn’t tell who was talking to you at first. It was soothing you like how Keith’s voice often did.

“____.” You felt that familiar metal hand upon your shoulder shake you slightly and you knew instantly that it was Shiro, but you didn’t open your eyes to look at him. You didn’t even knowledge his presence.

Shiro took his hand off of your shoulder when he noticed you weren’t going to respond to him. A soft sigh left him as he sat in the space next to you. He looked upon your broken, shaking figure and it made his heart sink to his stomach. He wasn’t sure what to do at first, but he said whatever came to his mind. “I’m here… Whenever you’re ready.” He quietly spoke as your sobs reverberated throughout the room.

 

Shiro didn’t lie when he said he was going to wait until you were ready. He sat beside you and waited until you calmed down, you finally unraveled yourself from your fetal position, and you sat up, revealing your puffy, red eyes to him. There was no smile on Shiro’s face when he looked at you. You looked absolutely exhausted. Who wouldn’t be after crying for thirty minutes straight.

“You alright?” Shiro shifted closer to you, his knee briefly bumped yours. You looked at him like you were in a daze until you looked to the floor. 

“I… I don’t know what to do, Shiro.” Your voice was hushed as it cracked slightly. It sounded so foreign to you, it sounded flat like it was dead, like it didn’t belong to your body.

“What do you mean? What happened, ____? Are you hurt or something?” Shiro didn’t want to just bombard you with questions, but he couldn’t help it. Seeing you this helpless wasn’t making him feel too good. You didn’t response to him right away, you were trying to find the right words.

“N-No, there’s just… something I have to tell Keith but…” You started to shake, tears building up yet again.

“Hey, it’ll be okay… It’ll be okay.” Shiro’s voice lowered and you felt something softly rubbing your back. It reminded you of Keith’s gentle caresses from morning, only it was larger and didn’t have the same warmth. It was Shiro’s metal hand on your back and even though it was hard and cold, it still felt oddly comforting.

“I’m scared… It-It’s not something we’re ready for, Shiro. I don’t think I can go through with this.”

“Is this something you want to go in specifics?” You shook your head and Shiro felt a little disappointed.

“This is something Keith should know first. But I’m afraid that if he finds out, he might… he might leave me.”

“Do you really think Keith would leave you for this?”

You made a frustrated sigh. “This is something that could change our lives, Shiro. Keith leaving would be easier for him.”

“And you really think he’ll pick to leave you? ____,” Shiro started, he had this unbelievable look on his face. “If you think Keith is going to leave you then maybe you don’t know Keith as well as you think you do.”

“What?” You quickly looked to him as you felt a little insulted because of what he said.

“Keith loves you, ____. And when Keith is passionate about something, he’ll never give it up. If you want me to be honest, I can’t see Keith leaving you for anything. He cares about you deeply and—”

“I know he does.” You spoke suddenly as you wiped away the tears that started to fall again. “I know he does.”

Shiro’s hand was now grasping your shoulder and pulling you into a side hug. “Then you shouldn’t have any fears about Keith leaving you because he won’t. Whatever you have to tell him, I’m sure Keith will understand. Like he always does.” He didn’t hear another sound from you, but he did feel you nod in response. You were silently crying and Shiro couldn’t help but wonder what was making you cry so much. There was not much he could do especially since you wouldn’t tell him specifically what your problem was. He was wondering what could be so bad to the point where you think Keith might leave you. Shiro sighed softly, stroking the side of your arm to comfort you. It was honestly all he could do.

“Hey Shiro. They need you at the—” The door to the lounge slid open and Keith walked in urgently. He was in mid-sentence before he found the two of you in a half embrace. Well, embrace was a strong word to use but in Keith’s mind, you two were basically in a loving embrace. He was surprised at first, and then a flash of anger glimmered in his eyes before it settled down into a worried glint. He rushed to your side the second he noticed your tears and Shiro pulled away from you, standing up to give you two some privacy.

“Keith, ____ needs to talk to you about something. She needs some cheering up.” Shiro mentioned as he walked past him. Before he left the lounge, you called out to him and thanked him. Shiro gave you a small smile before leaving you alone with Keith.

Keith was internally panicking but he had to stay calm. He really just wanted to hurl questions at you, but he had to respect that you were unstable right now. He had to handle this maturely. You looked so pale and drained of energy. Your eyes were red and puffy with stray tears staining your cheeks. Keith moved to wipe them. He hated seeing you like this.

Before he asked anything of you, he gave you a hug, pulling you tightly to his body while his arms went around your shoulders. You buried your face in his black shirt and your arms were around him as your fingers dug into his jacket. He felt your tears staining his shirt and you were shaking in his arms. You seemed fine this morning, maybe you were sighing a few times, but Keith didn’t think something was bothering you. He felt a little bad, he should’ve been paying a closer attention to you. What kind of boyfriend doesn’t know when his girlfriend is upset?

Keith kissed you on the cheek before looking into your face, his arms were still around you. You couldn’t look him in the eye as you finally spoke to him.

“Keith… Did you ever make a mistake?”

 He knitted his brows. “What do you mean?”

“Sex. During sex, did you ever make a mistake?”

“Uh-uh… not that I can remember. What is this about?” Keith fumbled with his words and he looked around in thought. He couldn’t remember a time when he did. He’s been pulling out every time, he clearly remembered that because he would always help clean you up after.

“My period… it’s late by more than a month.” You mumbled.

“L-Late?” Keith gulped as his voice sounded a little high.

You paused for a moment, closing your eyes and pulling yourself away from Keith. You moved to hug yourself, arms crossing over your stomach. You were afraid to say your next words, but you figured Keith already put two and two together. “I might be pregnant.” You breathed as your voice shook. “I-I might be pregnant… Keith.”

Keith was quiet as you expected. You were afraid to look at him, too ashamed at yourself. Even though you pulled away from him, Keith still had his hand on your leg and he was gently caressing it. He didn’t stop even when you told him about your suspicions. It took him a bit, but Keith eventually did speak. “W-Wait, are-are you sure? Maybe it really is just late.”

You shrugged at Keith, a little frustrated that you couldn’t give a straight answer. “I don’t know, Keith, I don’t know. How would we be able to tell?”

“We should probably invite that doctor again but that means we’ll have to head back. Does Shiro-uh… know…?”

You shook your head. “I didn’t tell him. I wanted you to know first.”

Strangely, Keith felt a little relieved that you didn’t tell Shiro. It wasn’t appropriate to tell you now, but he felt a stirring of envy when he found Shiro comforting you. He knew Shiro didn’t have any ulterior motives and he would never do anything to hurt him, but Keith’s possessive attitude sometimes liked to take the wheel and eliminate all rational thoughts about the situation. “We’ll have to tell him then… We can just say you’re feeling sick and he can come test you.” 

There was a brief silence from you. You felt slightly relieved that you told Keith but there was still something else bothering you. You remembered what Shiro told you, but you wanted to confirm it. “You’re not going to leave me, right?”

“What?” Keith’s eyes were wide. “What are you talking about? Leave you?”

“Because I might be pregnant…”

“Why would I leave you? I don’t think you’re pregnant but if you are, then it’s probably my fault. So, I should take responsibility, right?” He moved to embrace you again, kissing you on the side of your forehead. His lips felt soft against it, and you closed your eyes and surrendered yourself to his tender love. You leaned into his warm chest and listened to his pleasant words. “I’m not going to abandon you and leave you all alone with a child. Besides, I know that feeling too well, growing up with a single parent.”

“Gosh, I really hope I’m not, Keith…” You whispered against him, feeling more tears on your cheeks. Keith’s arms wrapped tighter around your form, mumbling through his lips that was pressed against your head.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get through this together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Chapter XVIII - Results
> 
> I decided to give you guys the titles of the next chapter from now on. Sometimes I do change the titles though. Originally this chapter was called "Father" But I was like nah lol
> 
> But I liked writing this chapter, especially Shiro's part.
> 
> Once again, thanks for the comments and kudos, everyone! I love you guys so much! <3


	18. Results

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Surprise! Double update today! I'm sorry that I didn't update last week, I'll explain at the bottom of the current chapter. Enjoy!

**Chapter XVIII: Results**

Beads of sweat ran down the sides of Keith’s face, his chest heaving dramatically, and lips pursed as he tried to even out his breathing. His heart was thundering within his ribcage and booming in his ears, almost drowning out the sounds around him. He took in a sharp inhale of breath as he eyed the figure standing in front of him. His eyes scanning for any sudden movements because if he wasn’t careful, he could be taken down in a flash. Keith took this moment of the standoff to brainstorm solutions to win. His mind was constantly coming up with ideas to beat his opponent, even the most reckless of ideas was considered helpful to him. He took a deep breath, his hand tightened on the hilt of his training sword, and his eyes hardened with determination. 

His opponent stared right back at him. A slanted smile yet full of kindness, and eyes that mirrored his own determined ones. His stance was perfect, back straightened, legs shoulder-width apart as his training sword was being held by his mechanical arm and pointed right at Keith. His face was drenched in sweat, but he made no moves to wipe it off as the white part of his hair stuck to his forehead. Keith knew Shiro was always was an excellent swordsman. He knew where to strike, how to counter, he kept a leveled head when in battle and never panicked if the situation went awry. Keith always aspired to fight like him, which is why on some days Shiro would train him, teaching him the proper ways to battle.

But there was no time to let his mind wander, Shiro was closing in fast as he suddenly lunged at him. His sword clashed into his with a metallic clank from impact. Shiro was pushing his weight on Keith, trying to pressure him down to disarm him but Keith’s quick thinking made him take a step back, almost like he dashed to gain some personal space. But Shiro was ahead of him, closing on him once again to not give him a chance to recover. He started hacking the sword in all directions, left, right, above, below, and Keith was able to successfully block every attack. He wasn’t going to give up that easily. And Shiro smirked at this.

Keith started his assault, slashing his sword skillfully with a goal to win. He had an idea, but he wasn’t sure of its success rate, but it also didn’t hurt to try. Keith slashed his sword towards his midsection and Shiro dashed back to dodge it and pulled his sword to his side before he thrusted it forward. Keith dodged to the right, avoiding his would-be fatal attack if it was a real blade. Though, Shiro was quick on his feet and he was by Keith’s side in a second. He was predicting his movements as they were easy to read and easy to counter. But Keith didn’t give up, he deflected another one of Shiro’s powerful slices, again, creating distance to instead look for an opening. Shiro just wouldn’t allow it, he kept the pressure high and Keith started to panic. When Shiro’s sword collided with his, it nearly made him stumble! A small gasp left him, and he quickly ducked to avoid the incoming slash aimed at his head. He bounced back up like a spring and his sword connected with Shiro’s almost instantly. He had to think of something fast!

He denied Shiro of all his attacks, but he couldn’t hold him off for long. His arms were getting tired. He couldn’t figure out how long they were at it, but his body was already reaching its limit. Shiro seemed like he had endless stamina, not letting his fatigue contort his serious expression. He moved like he still had the same energy from the start. Keith decided that his next attack should be his last, or else he would probably lose this fight. He had to be swift and his attack must be instant or else Shiro would dodge it. 

Keith gained some distance from Shiro again, and with a tight grip of his hilt, he rushed towards him switching the pressure upon Shiro. Shiro remained calm and blocked every slash of Keith’s sword. Keith quickly aimed for Shiro’s side again which he successfully blocked again as expected. But there was nothing protecting Shiro’s left side and Keith took advantage of that.

Shiro’s eyes widened when Keith’s leg suddenly lifted off from the floor and swung to his left in a kick. But Keith’s leg made no impact with his body as Shiro ducked to dodge it. Keith grunted a curse, his eyes upon Shiro who was squatted on the ground. Keith knew he left himself wide open as he was still balancing on one leg. Before he could place his two feet firmly on the ground, Shiro swung his leg towards Keith in a curved sweep, knocking Keith off his leg.

Keith fell upon the floor with a groan and the rounded end of the sword was pointed to his face. Shiro was standing over him, out of breath and a smile gracing his features. 

“Nice try, Keith. You almost got me there but… You’re just too predictable.” He lowered his sword to his side and held out his hand to help Keith up. Keith returned his smile and accepted his hand with no hard feelings. Shiro won most of the times during their training session but there were times when Keith would pull a win from under his nose.

“Really? I… thought I was doing pretty good with being all unpredictable.” Keith spoke through his pants and caught the water bottle Shiro threw at him. He took several gulps before wiping the sweat off his forehead. He was in definite need of a shower.

Shiro chuckled, walking over to sit against the wall of the training room. With a soft grunt, he planted himself upon the ground and Keith joined him shortly. “You have to watch your eyes, Keith. You always look at the area before you strike it and that’s what makes you predictable.”

“Wow, you’re even watching my eyes?” 

“You have to look at everything in your opponent to find a weakness. Never forget that.”

Keith shrugged. “Makes sense.”

“But you’re really improving. I would’ve never expected that from when I first trained with you. You did good.” He placed a hand on his shoulder and Keith felt pleased. He was happy to hear that he was improving. Training with Shiro was always, believe it or not, relaxing for Keith. Usually after, they would engage in a small conversation about either the upcoming missions or about the past. Shiro often liked to reflect about his time in the Garrison and would tell Keith stories about his time during training. But this time, something else was on Shiro’s mind as he thought back to yesterday’s events and how you were shaking and crying on the lounge’s couches. It’s been bothering him since and he hasn’t even checked up on you to see if you were okay. He’s been busy managing the travel to the Blade of Marmora base with Allura, so he hasn’t found the time. But maybe, it wouldn’t hurt to ask Keith. “Keith, how is ____? Has she been feeling better?”

Keith sighed softly, looking away from Shiro for a moment. “Well, it’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.” He drank from his bottle before speaking. “____’s not really feeling so good right now. So, I was thinking we should invite that doctor to come check her out.”

“Is she sick?”

“Uh-well, yeah. She’s sick.” Keith was silent after as well as Shiro, who just stared back at him. He knew Keith wasn’t being completely truthful. It just didn’t match up with what you told him.

_“What do you mean? What happened, ____? Are you hurt or something?”_

_“N-No, there’s just… something I have to tell Keith but…”_

From remembering the conversation he had with you yesterday, you pretty much confirmed to him that you weren’t sick or hurt but that you had something to tell Keith and it was troubling you. Shiro could only guess it was something that Keith didn’t want to share. He decided not to address his lie.

“I see. Where is she now?”

“In her room in bed. She was feeling worse this morning actually… She didn’t even want to eat.” He brought a hand to hold the back of his neck, sighing softly as his eyes seemed far away like he was reflecting on his thoughts.

“I understand. That means we have to turn back, right?”

“I’m really sorry for this, Shiro.” He was now looking at him as his eyebrows knitted together but Shiro shook his head, not liking the apologetic look on Keith’s face.

“It’s not a problem. I’ll tell Allura and we’ll head straight back." Shiro gave a small smile and Keith felt relieved but of course, not completely as that lingering feeling of the possibility of you being pregnant frightened him. He stayed strong in front of you but when alone, his thoughts wandered. If you were pregnant, how was he supposed to tell the paladins? Could he manage being a father and his duties as a paladin? It was clear that he wasn’t ready to be a father. It was honestly the last thing on his mind. All he could do was just hope you weren’t pregnant.

 

You were curled up in bed for most of the day. Your body aching for reasons you weren’t sure of and feeling nauseous to the point where you could throw up. Keith offered you breakfast in the morning, but you were so fatigued that you didn’t want to eat. You also feared of throwing it up once you ate it. It was one of the few symptoms you haven’t experienced yet. You only felt like you wanted to, but you didn’t actually do it. Maybe that meant you weren’t pregnant, you often thought, but you were always thinking of many excuses on why you couldn’t be ever since you noticed your missing period.

It took a bit of energy, but you decided to finally get out of bed. You were awfully hungry, but you were still afraid of throwing up. It was something you always hated to do, especially if you were sick or had food poisoning.

You changed out of your pajamas and into something decent and dragged yourself out of your room. At first, you were looking for Keith because you wanted to talk to him. For no important reason, you just wanted his company through your rough time. But you stumbled upon Pidge who was walking down the hall with a toolbox in her hands. She greeted you and then stopped to take a look at you. You looked tired like you haven’t slept the whole night. She looked instantly worried and didn’t hesitate to grab your hand and pull you to her room. 

“You look like you could use some fun.” Pidge beamed as the door to her room opened. 

It was messier than you expected. Her clothes were everywhere from her bed to the floor. The bed wasn’t made as the covers were dangling off the edge and pillows messily laid together at the head of the bed. The room was being cluttered by several machine contraptions that you couldn’t recognized. And empty bottles were scattered around the floor like they’ve been there for days. There were also these nice string lights that hung along the walls of her room that added a fun feeling to the chaotic atmosphere.

“Sit wherever you want!” She grabbed a controller that was on the ground and she threw herself on the bed. You weren’t sure where to sit at first as it was so cluttered, but you chose to sit next to Pidge, pushing some clothes to the side to make room for yourself. The controller Pidge picked up was connected to the gaming console she brought from the store, but it looked like she altered it to work from the small screen on the ground. It was attached to many wires from other small machines and it looked like a giant mess. All this work to make an old gaming system work with Altean tech. “I’m almost done! I just need to adjust the controller annnd…” She tinkered with the controller with one of the tools from toolbox. You watched intently but had no idea what she was doing.

It only took a few minutes before she suddenly cheered and raised her arms in the air. The once dark screen suddenly lit up and the words _Killbot Phantasm I: Journey to the Depths of the Demonsphere_ appeared on the screen with several different characters, the main character being a swordsman with red hair and a dashing smile.

“I got it working!! I gotta tell Lance! But first!” She pressed a button on the controller and squealed when game flashed in different colors and pixeled characters showed up on screen with a text bubble. 

“It’s amazing how you got it to work. You’re so smart, Pidge.” You remembered her horrifying wail when she and Lance realized they couldn’t play it because it wasn’t compatible with the castle, but Pidge didn’t give up. She was honestly able to pull some magic. 

“Haha, it was nothing. All I did was converted the…” That was when you lost her. She was using technical terminologies that you couldn’t understand, and you couldn’t help but drift into your worries again. You weren’t distracted for long and you started questioning again about your possible pregnancy. You knew Keith told you not to worry but knowing that Keith’s child could possibly be growing in your stomach right this second was scaring you. What were you supposed to do if you were pregnant? Would you and Keith actually raise this child together? “____?”

“Yeah?” You sounded dejected and you raised your eyes to look at Pidge. She looked worried again.

“Ever since we went to that mall, you’ve been spacing out. What’s going on with you?” Pidge placed her controller to the side and turned to face you. She always sounded like she demanded an answer whenever she was questioning someone. 

“I just… haven’t been feeling well lately, you know?”

“Is it something that has to do with Keith?” Pidge asked bluntly, and you jumped to her question. 

“No-No, I really am just under the weather.” You shook your head, but Pidge wasn’t convinced. She folded her arms across her chest and glared at you with her lips pursed. “Look, you’ll know when I confirm it but for now… I just want to keep it to myself.”

Pidge sighed heavily, groaning when she did. “Fine. I don’t know what you’re going through, ____, but you don’t have to go through it alone. You have me, Lance, Hunk, Shiro, Coran, Allura, and Keith, the whole Voltron crew to vent to!” She smiled softly, and you felt like the longer you stared at it, the more you wanted to cry. You were nodding when you moved to hug her, suddenly the feeling of holding someone overcame you. 

Pidge was a little surprised that you were hugging her, but she accepted it anyway, patting your back to try and comfort you. She soon felt her shoulder becoming wet and she felt you shaking within her arms. Pidge assumed it must’ve been serious if it was making you cry. It didn’t seem like you were hurt but more afraid if anything. She didn’t say a word after and just held you until you settled down. She honestly didn’t know you could be so emotional. She always found you so happy and full of light that it shocked her to see you so broken. 

“I’m sorry, Pidge. I feel better now.” You spoke once you pulled away after a few minutes. It felt like that’s all you ever did now. Cry, cry, and cry. You were sick of it.

“It’s alright. Just take it easy, okay?” You nodded to her words, giving her a faint smile. “Now! Let’s play! It’s a two-player game, you know!” The controller returned in Pidge’s hands and she held it out for you to take. 

“Sure, but first, I have to use the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” As you said this, you placed a hand on your stomach. Ever since this morning, you’ve been feeling this dulling pain within your stomach. It would come and go, and you assumed it was hunger pangs or the need to use the bathroom. So, you decided to go use the bathroom and get a quick snack to eat before hanging out with Pidge. You couldn’t wait to try out this game that she and Lance were excited about. Maybe it was something you needed to take your mind away from your stressful thoughts.

  

After his training session with Shiro, Keith decided to take a shower to freshen up and head to the kitchen for a snack. He was walking the halls with Shiro who was also in need of a snack. Keith was thankful Shiro didn’t bring you up in the conversation they were having, all he told him was that he was planning to tell Allura soon and for him not to worry. Keith swiftly changed the topic to avoid talking about you any further. He didn’t want to say anything unnecessary especially when he wasn’t sure about your condition yet.

As he walked the halls with Shiro, almost to the kitchen, he suddenly saw you jogging down at the end of the hall, clearly out of breath as you were calling his name. What were you doing? You weren’t supposed to be running especially if there was a chance you were pregnant. 

“____! What are you doing? You shouldn’t run.” Keith jogged to meet you halfway with Shiro right behind him. You hunched over to catch your breath, your hands held your knees and you raised one finger towards Keith to signal for him to wait. It took a moment to catch your breath and you then straightened yourself up to look at Keith.

“Keith, I have to talk to you. I’m sorry, Shiro.” You looked to Shiro and he shook his head.

“It’s alright. I’ll leave you two alone. Good to see that you’re feeling better though.” Shiro gave a gentle smile before continuing down the hall. Once he was gone, you didn’t give Keith a chance to speak. You were already pulling him down the hall towards your room and you practically threw Keith in when your door slid open. Before Keith could even question your actions, you threw yourself in his arms. You held onto his neck and buried your face in his shirt. Everything was happening so fast with no explanation for Keith that he didn’t even register you in his arms yet. He heard your door slid closed and your next words which you mumbled, rattled his heart.

“I’m not pregnant.” You spoke in his shirt and even though your voice was muffled Keith heard you loud and clear. He was stunned at first, your words replaying in his head like a broken record as he tried to comprehend it. You lifted your head to stare into his widened eyes, a bright smile was on your face something that Keith hasn’t seen in a while. “I’m not pregnant!” You repeated once more, a little louder to get a reaction out of him. If anything, he was more shocked than happy.

“H-How do you know?” Unless you secretly went to the doctor without him knowing, or maybe found a random pregnancy test lying around which was both highly unlikely. 

“My period came, finally, right?” You sighed in relief, and Keith felt stupid. Of course, what was he thinking? “I guess all of those symptoms was my period coming.” 

“But then… why was it late? Is that normal?” Keith had to admit he wasn’t the best when it came to knowledge about the female body. It was never something he really thought of until he met you.

“Sometimes… but I’ve never had it late for more than a month. I really thought I was pregnant…” 

Keith moved to hug you, his arms tightly holding your body against his. A heavy sigh left him like the weight of mountains were lifted from his shoulders. “Thankfully, you’re not.” He mumbled in your ear. “We’re not doing it unless we use protection, okay?”

You chuckled softly, “I was about to say the same thing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, double update today! Explanation on why I didn't update is at the end of the next chapter!
> 
> Honestly, my favorite part when writing this was the beginning. I loved writing the practice fight with Keith and Shiro.


	19. The Blade of Marmora

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy, this one! It's kind of long! 
> 
> Also, FYI, if you see a double space between paragraphs, it means the scene has changed. I don't really like adding dividers. It makes things look messy to me.

**Chapter XIX: The Blade of Marmora**

“Ah, damn it… I was supposed to make breakfast.” You woke up from your deep slumber and sighed, rubbing your hazy eyes with your hand as you tried to shake your grogginess from sleep. You didn’t expect to wake up so late, but you were feeling a bit tired from yesterday. It’s been a few days since you found out you weren’t pregnant, and you were feeling better by the day. You did have menstrual cramps and nausea at times but knowing that it wasn’t caused by a baby growing in your stomach brightened your mood. You also went to bed a little late yesterday, despite Shiro telling the paladins to go to bed early because they’ll be reaching the Blade of Marmora base the next day, you and Pidge and Lance stayed up a bit to play _Killbot Phantasm I._ You had to admit the game was pretty fun and you often found yourself playing with Pidge during past time. Even Keith later came and joined, but only to watch. You then retired for the night in Keith’s room, but of course, without any sexual activities going on. You’ve noticed that Keith has been letting up on sex ever since your pregnancy scare. Even though you did have condoms, Keith wanted to take a small break. You couldn’t blame him. It was a scary thing to experience. So instead, you two cuddled with each other like you so often did back in Thetis. You certainly didn’t mind. You loved being in his arms.

But now, Keith was nowhere to be found. He probably woke up earlier than you and you sort of wished he woke you up too. You only hoped they haven’t left to see the Blade of Marmora base because believe it or not, you wanted to come too. You’ve been stuck in this castle for months and even though it is beautiful, you wanted to see something new. Besides, a secret base with intelligent life sounds really cool.

So, you rushed out of bed in hopes that it wasn’t too late. You quickly did your morning duties and found yourself in the elevator going up to the Bridge. You couldn’t find anyone else in the other parts of the castle, so you assumed they were there with the mission underway. You walked until the large doors of the Bridge slid open and there you found Keith, quite heated, as the rest of the paladins were watching his outburst.

“What are you talking about? We have to go in!” His voice reverberated throughout the whole room as it was strained with frustration. He stood with shaking fists at his sides, his glare deepened as he looked to his comrades. “This is the whole reason we came out here! There is no other option!”

“Okay. Geez. Calm down.” Lance said slowly, holding both of his hands up and moving them down like he was motioning for him to relax. Keith narrowed his eyes slightly before turning away from him, his furrowed brows showing no signs of lighting up. Even when he caught sight of you, he still showed no change in expression. This base seemed really important to Keith and you haven’t had a clue why.

It was a little awkward after Keith shouted so you didn’t have the chance to greet the paladins. When you stood by Keith, several beeps sounded off in a tone and a couple of large foreign letters appeared on the holographic screen. A female voice soon spoke, asking the paladins to identify themselves. Shiro told Coran to open a frequency and he explained to the sudden messenger that they were the Paladins of Voltron and have been sent by Ulaz.

After Shiro spoke, there was even more of an awkward silence than before. You and the paladins waited patiently for any response from the female voice. Even though the silence was quite brief, it felt like an agonizing wait.

“Three may enter. Come unarmed.”

Unarmed? You weren’t taking those words lightly and neither was Allura, but Shiro was adamant on going. They were telling you to fly near two black holes and a star and to come unarmed? It was sounding a little weird to you honestly.

“So, any thoughts on who’s gonna join you on this little mission?” Lance spoke to Shiro as he was walking towards Keith and him. Lance’s arms were across his chest and a smug smile was on his face. “I’m thinking things might get a little hot, so you’re gonna want someone who can stay cool.”

“You’re right.” Shiro then looked to Keith. “Keith, you’re coming with me.” You almost wanted to chuckle at Shiro’s rejection, but the situation seemed quite serious. Especially since there was no smile on Shiro’s face. He was definitely in leader mode.

“Well then, I could be the third person!” Lance suggested, but Shiro shook his head.

“I think Keith and I are just fine.”

“No, wait.” You finally spoke up, earning the attention of the paladins. “I’m joining you guys.”

“Wha—No, ____, you’re staying right here.” Keith immediately protested as you knew he would, but you weren’t backing down. You placed a hand on your hip and sighed.

“I’m coming with you guys whether you like it or not.” 

“This is a dangerous mission, ____. You don’t have a choice. You’re staying here.” Keith was trying not to raise his voice at you, you could tell he was holding back as he spoke quickly and sounded like he was growling. 

Your eyebrows were furrowed, almost mirroring Keith’s. “I’m not some weak girl, Keith. I can take care of myself. I’m coming with you.”

“____...” Keith’s voice lowered like he was warning you. 

“____, with all due respect, this is a mission for the paladins and… you’re not a paladin. It’ll be better if you stay here.” It kind of hurt to hear Shiro say you weren’t apart of the team even though he was right. But you kept your foot down and glared at the two of them. You weren’t going to budge until they approve. 

“I don’t care, Shiro. Even though I’m not a paladin like you said… I feel this mission is important to Keith and I want to be there for him. Please Shiro, let me come on this mission. I’m not weak or dumb, I can take care of myself.” 

“No one said you were weak or dumb.” Shiro sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose as his eyes closed like he was in deep thought. You waited for his answer, your eyes glued on his conflicted expression until he finally spoke. “Fine. You can come.”

You gasped, and a large smile grew on your lips. But Lance shouted in protest. “What!? Shiro, come on! You can’t be serious!” 

“Enough. Keith, ____, let’s get moving.” He dismissed Lance who was clearly upset that he couldn’t go. You felt kind of bad for him, but you wanted to join Keith on this mission. Some part of you felt like you had to. You were pretty sure Keith was totally against you going on this mission, though, Shiro already gave the okay so there was nothing he could do about it.

  

Soon, you were in the Red Lion with Shiro and Keith and headed towards the amazing phenomenon ahead. You were wearing a space suit similar to the paladin’s only that it was white and had the accents of gray. You thought it would be amazing if there was a Gray Lion, and you always wondered what it would be like to pilot a Lion. 

Keith was in his chair while Shiro stood behind him. They were having a conversation about Keith’s attitude and how he should learn to control his emotions if he was going to be leader. It wasn’t the first time you heard about Shiro wanting Keith to be the leader after him. You remembered Keith told you about it back in one of his video logs you received while on Thetis. Keith didn’t know how serious he was back then but now, it looked like Shiro confirmed it. He was actually serious.

You didn’t say a word because you felt like their conversation was private even though they knew you could hear every word. You continued watching the two black holes and star, amazed because you never saw a thing like that in your life before. You didn’t even think it was possible that such a thing could happen in space and the fact that this Blade of Marmora had a base here was even more amazing.

Even though you zoned out for a moment, you were rudely snapped from your thoughts when an alarm started blaring and the Red Lion shook violently. You were almost knocked off your feet and went to grab the nearest thing to hold steady which was Shiro’s arm. He didn’t seem to mind, rather, he was too busy wondering what was happening. 

“We’re getting drawn in by one of the black holes!” Keith exclaimed as the entire Red Lion felt like it was shifting towards one of the black holes. You started to panic, knowing full well that getting captured by these holes meant death and probably a painful one. 

“Get us out of here!” Shiro’s yell made Keith maneuver his Lion in ways you didn’t know was possible. He flipped around and used a stray asteroid to propel the Lion out of the gravitational pull of the black hole. The frantic situation was over in a flash and Keith’s skillful piloting saved you and Shiro from a deadly situation. Keith let out a soft sigh as he hunched over in relief.

“Great job! That was close.” Shiro was clearly impressed by Keith’s skills.

“Yeah, you’re a really good pilot, Keith.” You also couldn’t help but sigh in relief.

 

It didn’t take long to reach the location the Marmora sent, Keith landed the Red Lion on an asteroid and the three of you stepped out into the barren land in search for anyone. It honestly felt like a trap to you at first because there was not a hint of soul there other than the three of you. You were preparing yourself for anything and soon you heard a loud rumble and you felt the asteroid shaking under your feet. Not too far ahead, the asteroid strangely started to open up and two men in dark suits that glowed in the chest area and mask were being brought up by a rising platform. Keith and Shiro looked on edge and although they had no weapons they were still on the defensive.

The two Marmora men led you three down the base using the platform they used to reach the surface. You looked around, amazed that so much tech could be hidden within an asteroid. You would have never guessed such a base was hidden here. You glanced behind you to look at the Marmora agents. They were standing still next to each other, like they were a statue and they showed no signs of moving until the elevator reached its destination. You also noticed the hilt of a sword clasped on their back. It was glowing in design like their suits and it strangely had you interested in the tech behind it.

The elevator reached a triangular shaped door that lit up in the same way as everything else in this base. And the door slid open to reveal a line of Marmora agents standing on each side along the pathway, and in the middle, on landing of the stairs, stood a Marmora male whose suit was different in design. He was wearing something over his suit, a fabric that you couldn’t quite name, but it matched in that same deep blue color the Marmora seemed to fashion while the edges were white. You guessed that he was definitely an important figure. There were also two Marmora females next to him, guarding him like every agent in this room. And in the center of the room, hanging above everyone’s heads, was a holographic symbol that you also couldn’t read but recognized it to be Galra language.

“I am Kolivan, leader of the Blade of Marmora.” The leader, Kolivan, introduced himself quite coolly as you, Shiro, and Keith stood in front of him. You were feeling a little on edge being surrounded by all their agents. Any wrong move and they could completely end you.

“My name is Shiro and this is Keith and ____. We are Paladins of Voltron.” Shiro returned the favor but Kolivan didn’t seemed so pleased to see the paladins. He even insulted his own, Ulaz, for leading the paladins to their base. He called him a fool and that foolishness led to his death. Shiro was upset upon hearing his words because Ulaz gave his life to save the paladins. Honestly, the air was growing thicker by the second and it felt like the pressure of gravity was making your legs incredibly heavy. As much as you wanted to blame it on gravity, it was really the intense atmosphere developing in this room. You actually desired not to be here right now because the growing tension felt was almost unbearable.

“You were told to come unarmed.” Kolivan suddenly changed the subject and you were confused. You looked to Keith as he started talking about his Lion as a proof of identification and Shiro backed him up. But Kolivan spoke up again, his voice lower than before.

“I imagine we would. However, I wasn’t referring to your beast.” 

Then it happened faster than you could register. A Marmora agent suddenly appeared behind Keith and before Keith could turn around and defend himself, his hand was grabbed, and his entire arm was thrusted behind him. He grunted, trying to struggle out of his grip but the agent was too fast. The agent tripped him as Keith was trying to break free and he fell upon the ground with a thud. The Marmora held him against the ground.

“Keith!” Shiro shouted, wanting to help Keith but Marmora agents moved in front of him. You too were being surrounded by them as you tried to come to Keith’s rescue. The agent holding Keith down pulled a blade off of him. A beautiful blade similar to the Marmora blades on every agent’s back, only difference was it was like a dagger version of their blades. It glowed in similar colors and it was sharp to the point. It was something you’ve never seen on Keith before. You had no idea he had something like this. 

“He has one of our blades!” The agent shouted, looking to Keith as his voice lowered in disgust. “Who did you steal this from?”

“I didn’t! I’ve had it all my life!” Keith yelled from under him, trying to look at his covered face as best as he could.

“Lies!”

You and Shiro looked to one another, clearly with a dubious expression about the situation. Sure, you never seen that blade before on Keith but that doesn’t mean he stole it. 

“Can you corroborate your friend’s statement? Does this blade truly belong to him?” Your eyes left Shiro’s to look at Kolivan who finally spoke up. Shiro looked unsure, stuttering over his words.

“I… I don’t know. ____?” He looked to you for answers, but you couldn’t provide them. Still, you didn’t want to assume Keith stole it. 

“I’m not sure either.” Your eyes narrowed at Kolivan. “But I know Keith isn’t someone who would steal things.” 

“Shiro, you know me. I promise you I didn’t steal it. I’ve had this knife as long as I can remember.” 

“We can’t trust them.”

“I’m telling the truth. I saw Ulaz had a knife like this. Tell me what it means.” Even though Keith was pleading for more information, they didn’t sympathize with him. They couldn’t care less about Keith and his interest in the blade. They were more concerned about keeping the secrecy of their traditions within their race. And as Shiro was fixed on leaving, Keith refused, demanding answers from the Marmora leader. He looked truly desperate, an expression you haven’t seen on his face since the day he asked you out. The origin of this blade held secrets that Keith craved to know, and he was determined to do anything to unlock them. So, when Kolivan challenged Keith to the trials of Marmora, he accepted without hesitation despite the objections from you and Shiro.

   

Knowledge or death. Those words resonated within your mind as you watched Keith through the vidscreen. He was panting, bruised, and yet that determined expression never faltered. You watched as he battled with four Marmora agents, clearly outmatched and clearly outnumbered. He was pushing his bodily limits, his movements were lagged, and his reflexes were dulled as blood dripped from the open sore of his wound on his shoulder. The Marmora had taken you and Shiro into a room where you two can watch Keith during the trials. Kolivan was also there to spectate him. It was horrifying to watch Keith struggle, and at some moments you couldn’t even watch because you couldn’t stand to see Keith in pain. Shiro glanced at you and saw how you were cowering away from the vidscreen, your arms around your body as it was the only thing you could hold at the moment. Your eyes were to the floor and you were biting your lip as if you were holding back on doing something. Shiro saw it. Shiro saw that you wanted to just run down there and help him. 

“How long does this go on?” Shiro asked.

“Sometimes, the greatest challenge is knowing when to stop.” Kolivan replied coolly.

“He’ll never quit.” 

“One way or another, this will end. Knowledge or death.” Kolivan repeated those words just as Keith rushed towards a new set of Marmora agents. This time it was five of them. If Keith kept going, he would possibly die and that was scaring you. Some part of you wanted to stop these trials and another part of you knew how important they were to Keith. It was his ticket to unlocking the secrets of the blade he had for all his life and to take that away from him… well, you knew he would be consumed with rage.

It wasn’t long before Keith was limping into the next room where even more agents rose from the ground by the platform under their feet. They took on a battle stance and Keith reacted fast. He flung his blade towards them, something you haven’t seen him done yet. It flew past the agents and had you wondering where he was aiming that. The blade soon got jammed between opening and the walls of the platform and Keith made a mad dash towards it, defending off the agents until he finally reached the opening and dropped through as it closed after him.

“Keith!” You and Shiro spoke simultaneously, surprised at Keith’s quick thinking of an escape. But the opening he dropped into landed him in a hallway where he limped through to find an exit. He soon collapsed on to the ground, exhaustion finally taking its toll on him.

But then something strange happened. You and Shiro quickly looked to one another as you two suddenly appeared on the vidscreen and in front of Keith. How was it possible to be in both places at the same time? Clearly, those figures near Keith were fake but they looked so real that Keith would possibly mistake them for being real. 

“Is that a hologram?” Shiro asked, turning his head to look at Kolivan. It was awkward watching yourself talk to Keith because he actually believed it was you. He looked happy to see you at first but soon his smile dropped as the false Shiro and you suggested to Keith to return his blade. 

“His suit has the ability to create a virtual mindscape, reflecting its wearer’s greatest hopes and fears. And at this moment, your friend desperately wants to see you two.” Kolivan explained and you looked back at the vidscreen, praying that Keith realizes it wasn’t the real you. 

“What is it with you and that thing?” Image Shiro spoke to Keith with such distaste in its voice. 

“It’s the only connection I have to my past. It’s my chance to learn who I really am.” Keith glanced down at his blade.

“You know exactly who you are, a Paladin of Voltron. We’re all the family you need.”

“Keith, it’s okay. Let’s just return the blade and go home. It doesn’t matter who you are to me, I’ll love you all the same.” Your image spoke so sweetly to him, even stepping towards him to offer its hand. Your image had a smile on its face and Keith stared at it, his brows furrowing like he was in pain.

“Shiro, you’re like a brother to me… and ____, I love you so much… but I have to do this!” When Keith resisted, the images became aggressive, repeatedly telling him to return the blade. Keith remained firm even though it hurt him to anger the two people he cared about the most.

“I’ve made my choice.” 

“Then you’ve chosen to be alone.” Image Shiro turned his back on Keith.

“I’m… disappointed in you, Keith.” Your image then reached for Shiro’s hand and it smiled up at him. “Shiro, let’s go.” It spoke softly to him and for a second there, you thought you saw a faint smile on Image Shiro’s face. You took a step away from Shiro as you felt a little awkward watching an intimate scene of your clones with him. Shiro’s expression didn’t budge and it showed no reaction towards the scene. 

“Shiro! ____! Wait!” Keith was running after the images, but it seemed like he used every bit of his energy to do so and he fell upon the ground with a thud. He rolled himself onto his back and groaned. And at that moment, it looked like he passed out. His eyebrows remained furrowed as it twitched along with his mouth, like he was dreaming of something horrible. Whatever was happening to him, it was mentally taxing for his mind. And Shiro was getting frustrated. He felt like this was too much, and he had enough of this trial. He turned around and marched straight for the exit.

“I’m calling this off.” He announced but was soon surrounded by Marmora agents that stopped him from achieving his plan. They had a tight grip on his arms and held a blade to his throat. 

“Shiro!” You rushed to help him, but you were also met with agents who held you by your arms and threatened your neck with their blade. You still fought against their grip and tried to shake their hold off of you, but when they pressed the blade closer to your neck in warning, you stilled yourself and gritted your teeth. It wasn’t worth it to continue fighting, but this was getting ridiculous. You wanted to just take Keith and leave, it felt like they were just playing with him. They knew he couldn’t possibly pass the trials, they were probably hoping he would quit after a while, but they didn’t know Keith. They didn’t know him like you and Shiro did. He would stop at nothing to find the truth.

There was a soft rumble you felt under your feet, a light vibration like something was shaking the entire base. The Marmora agents were looking around too as they were tried to find the source of the rumble. But soon, it felt like the ground was shaking back and forth and you would’ve been thrown off your feet if it wasn’t for the agents holding your arms. Pieces of debris from the ceiling were falling all around you and the agents. A muffled boom could be heard like something was attacking the base and the area would tremble after it. The vidscreens were blank and showing static and you could no longer see Keith’s condition. A Marmora agent ran in, exclaiming that the Red Lion was attacking the base and that it was trying to break through. 

“It has a link with Keith. It knows when he’s in danger. It’s coming for him.” After Shiro’s explanation, the entire base shook and it startled the agents once again, loosening the hold they had on you and Shiro. You took this as an opportunity. You shoved the agents away from you and escaped their grasps. Shiro had the same idea and the two of you were now sprinting down the hall with the Marmora agents right on your tail.

“Keith!!” You dived to the floor on your knees where you approached Keith’s unconscious form. He woke up shortly and winced at the pain that throbbed around his body. He was much in a daze and couldn’t get a grasp of the situation.

“Keith, are you okay?” Shiro was kneeled by his other side and the two of you hooked his arms around your shoulders and helped him on his feet.

Keith groaned softly just as the Marmora agents flooded into the hall. They took on a battle stance ready to attack. 

“Stop what you’re doing!” Kolivan shouted.

“What are you talking about? What’s going on?” Keith was still trying to shake his grogginess, so he almost sounded like he was mumbling.

“Call off your beast!”

“Move out of the way! We’re leaving!” Shiro tightened his hold on Keith and glared at the Marmora agents.

“You’re not leaving with that blade. It does not belong to you. You failed to awaken it!” Still, the Marmora agents were persistent on Keith handing over the blade. They weren’t going to let him leave without it. 

Frustrated by the secrecy, Keith grunted. “What does that mean?”

“Give up the blade!” And without answering his question, one of the Marmora agents unsheathed his blade and rushed towards you three. Shiro acted fast and his right arm glowed a bright purple as he used it as his own sword. The Marmora’s blade crashed with Shiro’s arm but before any damage could be done, Keith’s desperate cry broke out.

“Wait!” He then held out his blade. “Just take the knife!” 

“But Keith…” You spoke out, and Keith shook his head. 

“It doesn’t matter where I come from. I know who I am. We all need to work together to defeat Zarkon. If that means I give up this knife, fine. Take it.” The room was quiet for a moment after Keith spoke. He held out the blade, ready to give it up. A soft piercing noise sounded, and suddenly the symbol embedded in a gem on the blade shined a light.

“You’ve awoken the blade!” Kolivan shouted in disbelief. The blade was shining as bright as the sun, its light almost blinding you as you had to squint your eyes to see. The light consumed Keith and it soon diminished to reveal his blade in a new form. Much like the ones pointed in your direction, it grew in size and curved slightly near the top. You watched in amazement, stunned at the sudden transformation of such a small dagger. Even Kolivan was in shock, his words came out slow.  

“The only way this is possible is if Galra blood runs through your veins.”

 

You sighed softly to yourself and reached behind your back to unhook your bra. You slipped yourself out of it and grabbed your tank that was on your bed. It was next to Keith who was sitting at the edge with his blade in his hand and he stared at it with a blank expression. He was deep in his thoughts, you couldn’t blame him. After finding out he was half Galra, after finding out the truth about himself, he was acting a little strange. He accepted himself for who he was, but he didn’t know how that’ll affect the team. Would they still want to work with him? Would you still love him?

After you, Keith, and Shiro returned to the castle, you brought along Kolivan who was now willing to work with the paladins to defeat Zarkon. It was long meeting with the Marmora but eventually, they discovered a way how to defeat Zarkon. Hunk even fell asleep for a few hours as they were going over the plan. Unfortunately, it meant the paladins had to split up in order to gather supplies for the mission. And tomorrow was the day to depart for it. You were a little sad that you’ll have to separate with Keith for a bit. You had to stay and help Allura on her mission which you had no problem with. Shiro was impressed by the way how you handled yourself in the base. He was rather confident when he suggested you help Allura. You were glad you were able to prove yourself as useful to the paladins. 

“You okay, Keith?” You decided to call to him. He hummed in response and finally, his eyes were on you.

“I’m alright.” He said quietly before placing his blade under his pillow. He was already in his sleepwear. A black tank and boxers. Some parts of his shoulder were wrapped up with bandages for the wounds he received today. He remained sitting and made no moves to lie down on the bed. You slid besides him, resting your hand on his thigh and smiling softly. 

“A lot happened today. I can’t believe this is it. We’re finally going to beat Zarkon.” You tried to bring up a topic, anything to keep Keith from his thoughts. You were rambling about the mission and spoke about how excited you were for it. Keith was just listening to you quietly. He was no longer looking at you as his eyes were upon his clasped hands. He opened his mouth shortly and you weren’t expecting the words that left his lips. 

“I saw my dad.”

The smile from your lips fell and a soft sigh came from Keith.

“I know it wasn’t really him but… he felt so real. You don’t know how badly I wanted to talk to him but… I had a duty to do. I had to go.” The chuckle he made was pitiful and you reach to hold Keith’s hand. You thought it would be trembling, but it wasn’t. He also didn’t look as sad as he sounded. “And then he mentioned my mom. It’s like, I finally found some answers but now I have more questions. Where’s my mom now? Is she even alive? How did they meet? Why… did she leave us?”

“Keith…” You intertwine your fingers with his and had a tight hold on his hand. His eyes returned to you, looking into yours like they were searching for something. 

“And… will ____ leave me now? Knowing that I’m half Galra?” You shook your head quickly, surprised that Keith would even question that. You loved him for him. It didn’t matter to you what he was. You softly pressed your lips upon Keith’s and pulled away to stare into his eyes. Your foreheads were together, and your voice was hushed and coated with affection.

“I love you, Keith. I will never think of you any different. You’re my one and only and I want to stay with you forever. Galra or not. Soulmate or not.”

“You’ll never leave?” He whispered as a small smile graced his handsome face.

You smiled softly and kissed him again. “Never.” 

The smile on Keith’s face never ceased even as he kissed you. His kisses were growing passionate, moving against you like he hungered for them. He moved to grab your forearms to hold you against his body, his thumb caressed your soft skin which sent pleasant shivers throughout your body. You felt him pushing his weight on you, and you allowed him to as you fell back onto your bed. Keith quickly climbed on top of you, placing himself between your legs as the thrill of his position reminded you of the pleasure that’s yet to come. It’s been so long since you had him. And every passing day, you longed for him more. It seemed like Keith had the same thought.

“It’s been a while… Do you want to…?” He pulled away briefly to ask but soon, he was back again like he couldn’t get enough, and he kissed your neck, flowering it with his love.

“Hm-mm…” You hummed softly as your hand moved to hold the back of his head, your fingers tangling with the black strands of his hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! The reason why I didn't update for like two weeks now I guess was because I decided to take a small break to plan out the rest of this story. It's like I knew what was going to happen but I didn't know what led to it. And since I'm following the canon storyline sometimes, I had to see how to fit it in this story without making it complicated. Especially since we're getting close to the major battle of Zarkon and ***Spoiler if you don't know*** where Shiro "dies", I had to see how I can change that to fit Just Until. All in All, we're pretty close to the halfway point of this series. Maybe like 6 chapters? Don't quote me on that lol but yeah basically, expect the canon storyline sometimes but with added changes, much like this chapter!
> 
> ALSO! IMPORTANT! For the next chapter, I'll give you guys a choice. Either, I continue with the next scheduled chapter OR the next chapter could be another sex scene with Keith (continuing from the ending of this chapter). It's your guys choice! Make sure you vote!
> 
> And thank you everyone for the kudos and comments! You guys are literally the best! And every support from you guys honestly drives me to finish to fic! Thank you so much, loves! Until next time!!


	20. Departure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally made a huge mistake and I’m like a disgrace of a writer!!! I apologize greatly!! So, there won’t be a sex scene because I realize while I was writing it that Reader can’t really have sex right now because she’s still on her period!! I KNOW I KNOW MISTAKES WERE MADE!! Technically, she still can but idk that’s kind of gross and I don’t think Keith will be into that. So, here’s the next scheduled chapter. I’m sorry guys who voted for the sex scene, I’LL MAKE IT UP TO YOU!!

**Chapter XX: Departure**

Keith’s lips moved over yours with such passion, it left you breathless. By the time he pulled away, you were a panting mess. He stared down at you and you stared up at him, your eyes were dripping of desire, need, want for Keith. He hungered to have you again, to have you panting and moaning his name with love, to feel your skin against his and moving together as one. Keith couldn’t wait any longer, he was back kissing you on lips and you moaned like you longed for them. You wrapped your arms around his neck a little too hard, and he grunted as pain shot through his shoulder. He pulled away and held a hand to his bandages.

“I’m sorry.” You murmured an apology, feeling a little regretful that you had forgotten his injury. But Keith shook his head and with that same hand, he held your cheek.

“It’s fine. It didn’t hurt.” He clearly lied, but only because he didn’t like the worried expression on your face. He came back down to kiss you once again, softly this time, instead of the rough and sexually starved manner like before.

You were a little excited for this and you could tell Keith was more than eager to make love to you, but when you felt the dulling cramp within your stomach, you were brutally reminded. You groaned and knocked your head back against the bed. Keith asked what was wrong as you suddenly pulled away from him.

“I forgot… I’m still on my period.” You sighed softly. You were almost done, but it wasn’t really sanitary to keep going. Keith did look a bit disappointed but he smiled nevertheless.

“It’s fine, we can just…” Keith trailed off as he positioned himself properly on the bed to where his head on the pillows. You quickly joined his side and he wrapped an arm around you to bring you closer while your arm crossed over his chest. “Do this.” He finished his sentence and you chuckled softly, pulling the covers over the both of you, the warmth from Keith’s body and the covers were soothing you.

There was a moment of silence between the two of you as you were just basking in each other’s presence. You shut your eyes, snuggling closer to his body and Keith sighed softly. You didn’t notice how exhausted you were until you were under those covers. It reminded you of Thetis, you would come back from work and would be tired after a long day of teaching. There were times when Keith would be there to help alleviate the stress. You loved when he was there, and this moment was reminding you of those days. 

“It’s like Thetis in a way.” Keith had said, and you smiled at his words.

“I was thinking the same thing.”

“Remember Water Day? How tired we were?” The memory brought a joyous feeling in your heart. Water Day was a tradition on Thetis where all the schools would compete in sports. It wasn’t as serious for the young Thetians who you taught, but they still participated in sports suitable for their age.

“I never swam so hard in my life!” You laughed, remembering how they had all the teachers participate in a swimming contest. Of course, you lost, a mere human wasn’t going to win against a species built for water. 

“It was the first time I saw you in a swimsuit too.” Even though it was a one-piece swimsuit, Keith couldn’t take his eyes off of you that day.

“Is that all you’re thinking about?” You rolled your eyes, then again, it was the first time you saw Keith in trunks and he looked absolutely sexy.

“No, of course not.” He shrugged. “But it’s good noting.” You slapped his chest playfully and then caressed it, almost like you were apologizing for hitting him. Keith didn’t mind at all and he grabbed your hand to hold it, another thought coming to mind. “Are you sure you’re okay with me being Galra?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“After what happened… in Thetis, with the Galra invasion—I just expected you to—”

“I know the Galra has put me through a lot. They tortured me for days in that cell, Keith.” Keith could remember the bruises like it was yesterday. He was—and still is angry at himself for not saving you sooner.

“They—They didn’t do anything like—” You shook your head. You were never sexually assaulted or harassed by them, of course, but even though you were spared of the treatment, you still remembered the horrible cries coming from Thetian women in the other cells. They would always visit a cell in groups. It made you sick to your stomach. “I’m sorry.” His hand started to rub your arm. “Let’s stop talking about this.”

You started to play with the straps of his tank. “I know you’re nothing like those Galra, Keith. You don’t need to worry about such things. I know who you are.”

“You’re right.” He whispered. Keith regretted even bringing it up as he seemed to think he ruined the mood. You were no longer smiling, and he kissed your forehead to try and mend whatever sadness you were feeling in your heart. The night ended with the two of you holding each other, enjoying what you had left until it was time to depart.

 

It was the day of departure for the paladins and you were feeling a little sick in your heart for having to separate with Keith. In the docking area of the Lions, the paladins were all suited up and saying their goodbyes. Keith and Hunk were the first to leave. You watched as Keith hugged Shiro and told him to stay safe. Hunk was dramatically shaking hands with Pidge while tears streamed down their faces. You smiled sadly at the sight and turned to Keith once he separated with Shiro. When you came close, he threw his arms around you in a loving embrace, and you nuzzled your head on his shoulder.

“Come back to me in one piece, you hear?” You kissed him softly when you pulled away slightly, your arms were still around him. “Stay safe.”

Keith chuckled softly, “You too, stay safe. I’ll miss you.” He kissed you again and Lance was in the background, sticking one finger in his mouth and pretending to gag. Pidge shook her head at Lance.

You almost didn’t want to pull away, but you knew you had to especially since Hunk was walking over. You gave Hunk a short hug goodbye, promising him that when he comes back that he’ll teach you some of his recipes. They soon departed on the Yellow Lion and you waved them off, missing Keith already as you watched them fly off. 

It was now time for Shiro, Pidge, and Lance to leave for their mission. You hugged Pidge so tightly it almost made her feet leave the ground.

“Come back so that we could continue playing!” Even though your words sounded happy, your face had a slight frown. You really didn’t want to separate from the paladins. You were starting to think of them as family and spending a couple of days away from them was going to feel a little lonely.

“Of course, ____! We still gotta beat that boss together!” Pidge grinned, rubbing your back. You pulled away from her and she kneeled down to say her goodbyes to Allura’s mice.

“You too, Lance. I’ll miss your jokes.” It was a surprise for Lance when you hugged him. He wasn’t too sure if he should hug back at first, but because Keith wasn’t here to give him death glares, he might as well hug back.

“Oh, come on, it’s not like we’ll be gone forever.” Just as you pulled away, Lance shrugged. And finally, you turned to Shiro who was looking down at you with a smile. You didn’t hesitate to wrap your arms around him, and he did the same, pulling you into his chest. Shiro was so much larger than Keith, it was a little overwhelming being in his arms, yet it didn’t matter to you now. You were going to miss him greatly. 

“We’ll be back before you know it.” He said as he let you go, and you smiled brightly at him.

“I know. I’ll catch you later, leader.” This time, Shiro wasn’t too surprised at the title. Lately, you’ve been calling him that and he gotten quite fond of it. Sometimes he was almost expecting it whenever you talked to him.

The three of them soon boarded the Blue Lion, after Allura tricked Lance into kissing her mouse when Lance had asked for a kiss goodbye. You laughed loudly, waving them off with tears in your eyes. And lastly, it was time for Coran to leave for his mission. Him and the princess shared a lovely moment while saying their goodbyes and Coran reminded you briefly of how to control the ship’s weapons, summarizing all he taught you in a couple of sentences. It was a just in case situation, but he was sure you and Allura wouldn’t run into trouble while on your mission. You hugged him goodbye and waved at him while he was departing with his spaceship.

Now it was just you and Allura alone in this huge castle. If the castle didn’t look as big as before, it was now feeling gigantic with the paladins gone. You could tell Allura too was feeling a little down after departing with them, but she knew she had to stay focus for the mission. The two of you were heading to the Balmera to find a crystal large enough to complete the teludav. You’ve only heard stories from Keith of the paladin’s mission there, so you were pretty excited to see the planet-sized creature in person.

You were so excited that you went to freshen up with a shower when Allura told you it was few _doboshes_ until arrival. When you changed into a fresh pair of clothes, you walked into the Bridge as Allura was video chatting with Coran. He told her some encouraging words which helped her send away whatever troubles she had. Seeing Allura talk to Coran through video chat was making you miss Keith even more. Once Allura ended her call, you sat in Keith’s chair and pulled up your own holographic screen. You started to contact the Yellow Lion but after a few missed calls, no one seemed to be picking. You sighed heavily and slouched in his seat, it seemed to have caught the attention of Allura who narrowed her eyes at you.

“So ____, how are you faring with _Keith_?” You didn’t miss the venom in her voice when she emphasized his name. Your eyebrows rose at her behavior. 

“Uh, how am I _faring_ with Keith? What do you mean?” Allura stayed quiet as she glared at the ground. Her voice was filled with so much hostility that you almost couldn’t recognize it. It was so unlike her, especially towards a fellow paladin.

“No, No, it’s nothing.” She shook her head and returned her eyes at the distant Balmera. She quickly changed the subject, her demeanor lightening as she spoke fondly about the last mission they had when they visited the Balmera. You didn’t know what was going on between Allura and Keith, but whatever it was it made Allura’s whole demeanor change whenever he was mentioned. She didn’t even say goodbye to him when he departed for his mission, but just glared at him from a distance when you were hugging him. Maybe you’ll talk to her later about it. 

After a few _doboshes_ , the castle arrived at the Balmera. It landed near a small colony of Balmerans who was watching the castle land with a hopeful look. It amazed you how just the sight of anything related to the Paladins of Voltron brought such an expression to their faces. Voltron was truly a symbol of hope for the universe.

You and Allura took a small craft to leave the castle and you met with the Balmerans, a reptile-like species that seemed friendly enough. An older Balmeran woman greeted the two of you and Allura introduced you as the newest member of Voltron. It wasn’t official, of course, but hearing that made you feel a little giddy. Once Allura mentioned their plan to defeat Zarkon and the reason for being there, the Balmerans instantly offered their help. They took you and Allura several miles underground into their caverns where they held the ritual for one of the largest crystals you’ve seen. Apparently, the Balmera had sealed off this crystal when the Galra was there, almost like it was protecting itself. The ritual soon went underway and Allura had touched the crystal and the Balmerans placed their hands upon the ground and the entire cavern glowed a bright light. Light radiating from the crystal itself and Allura. The ground started to rumble softly, and you heard some of the Balmerans express their concern, but the ritual continued none the less. And you watched with amazement as the large crystal started to lift itself from the ground.

Allura quietly expressed her thanks to the creature and you cheered, hopping on the balls of your feet and clapping. It was a mission success!

The Balmerans then help load the crystal onto the castle. And you and Allura were saying your goodbyes to the kind Balmerans. As expected, you didn’t really do much. It wasn’t like you were sneaking in a prison or traveling inside a space beast for the mission, but just visiting old comrades for help. It was still an experience and you wouldn’t change it for the world. From Earth studies teacher to now a helper of the paladins, you wouldn’t have expected your life to turn out like this. You couldn’t help but wonder how your students would’ve reacted to you being on a Balmera. They would’ve been ecstatic. You smiled sadly to yourself as you thought about your life on Thetis. Those memories seemed so distant now.

You weren’t keeping track of the conversation Allura had with the Balmerans and you felt a soft rumble under your feet. At first, you didn’t pay any mind to it but then shaking persist and grew aggressive. Allura had stopped mid speech and looked to the distance where a giant crystal stood that seemed to be the source of all the shaking. It began to break apart and the Balmerans started to scream and scatter away from the area. You looked to Allura in panic, not really understanding what was happening. She told the Balmerans to take cover within the caverns and took your hand and rushed to the craft. Once you and Allura made it to the Bridge, the crystal that held a creature at bay burst to pieces and revealed an old enemy of the paladins with upgraded features. It was using the crystals as a shield and weapon, blasting lasers constantly at the castle. Luckily, Allura had placed the castle’s defensives up so you were a bit relieved. You sat in Coran’s chair where the majority of the controls for the castle’s weapons were. You waited on a signal from Allura but first, she wanted to lure the creature away from the Balmera. She launched the castle into space and as expected the monster was right on the castle’s tail.

Allura quickly called the paladins for help and was able to wormhole them as they were all done with their missions. They came up with an elaborate plan to return to each of their Lions and they defeated their old foe by working together. You were able to help by using the castle’s weapons as a follow up attack. It was a good thing Coran taught you the basics of how to operate the castle’s weapons because you ended up saving the paladins more than a few times with your skillful shots.

As the paladins returned to the castle, you greeted them with a smile.

“Welcome back, everyone!” You were so happy to see them, especially Keith. You honestly wanted to jump in his arms, but you had to contain yourself. The mission comes first.

“____, that was you on the weapons?! I was thinking Coran came back or something!” Lance exclaimed, clearly impressed. You blushed softly, bringing a hand to hold your neck. Not really knowing what to say, you shrugged.

“Coran definitely taught you well. You saved my butt.” Pidge’s smile was large when she spoke.

“Thanks guys, I tried my best. Was everyone successful on their mission?” You didn’t want your blush to grow any deeper from all the praises, so you quickly changed the subject. From what they were saying, their missions were a success. And you were relieved that the teludav could finally be completed. You somewhat couldn’t believe it, the time to actually fight against the Galra was coming soon.

“Allura, have you heard from Coran?” Keith spoke to Allura which earned a dully response from her.

“Yes.” Followed by awkward silence.

Lance was quick to lighten the mood, because even he could see the mistreatment towards Keith. “So, we ready to pop through the wormhole and get back to Olkarion?”

Allura’s demeanor changed once again when Lance spoke to her and she turned around with a large smile, her words enthusiastic. “Yes, I’ve checked in with Coran and teludav is nearly complete. Hunk, thank you for getting the scaultrite.” She looked at him sweetly. 

“No problem.” He gave her a half smile but then gestured towards Keith. “You know, Keith was there too.”

But Allura said nothing. The sweet smile she once held dropped the moment her blue eyes met with Keith’s and they narrowed into a sharp glare before she turned around to resume control of the castle. Keith’s eyes followed her when she moved, his face expressionless. You weren’t really sure what to do as tension was high between the two paladins. Not another word was said from anyone as Allura began to wormhole the castle to Olkarion.

 

Olkarion was another planet you heard from Keith. During late nights when Keith would visit you back in Thetis, Keith would tell you stories about their missions and the visit to Olkarion was one of them. It’s always been a planet that interest you, especially since it reminded you of Thetis, only that Thetis was mostly water and Olkarion had a lot more land. The Olkari were also a species that impressed you with their advancement of engineering. The fact that they can even build a teludav large enough to take Zarkon’s entire ship was impressive enough. 

After Coran had shown you and paladins the final product of the nearly done teludav, you were walking along the halls of the Olkari base of operations with Pidge. The two of you were headed to balcony of the base where you could view the entire landscape. Hunk, Lance, and Keith were also there so you wanted to meet up with them.

“____, you got a minute?” Almost out of nowhere, Shiro appeared at your side. You couldn’t remember whether you heard his footsteps or not because you were talking with Pidge. Pidge motioned she was going on ahead, leaving you to talk to Shiro in the hall.

“Yeah sure, what’s up?” The smile on Shiro’s face steadied your heart. It seems like there was nothing negative he wanted to talk about. In fact, he seemed quite happy for someone who was going to fight in the final battle with Zarkon in just a couple of days.

“I just wanted to commend you on your performance today on the mission. It really seems like you’re fitting in with our crew.”

You blushed. You didn’t know why you got so shy when receiving praises. “I mean, it was nothing really… I just, you know, aimed and pressed buttons.”

“No, it was _something_. I was thinking, ever since the Marmora mission, you’ve proven yourself to be a part of this team. _Officially_.” Your eyes widened as you listened to Shiro. Was he asking you to be a part of Voltron? “I don’t know how long we’ll be together or even if we’ll be successful in beating Zarkon but…I know we’ll need your help. Final mission or not.”

“B-But I can’t control the Lions, can I really be a Paladin?” You looked to the floor with uncertainty but Shiro placed a hand on your shoulder to reassure you. You felt the warmth of his hand through fabric of your clothes.

“You don’t need to control the Lions, as long as you can help us out like how you did today. You really impressed me, ____.” You looked up and met with Shiro’s soft eyes. The smile on his face looked rather confident yet comforting at the same time. You somewhat felt like you could believe in yourself just by staring at his handsome face. But there was something that you still had to do before you decide to officially become a part of the team. Going back to teach in Thetis was something the Thetians were probably expecting of you to do when the school finished their construction. You had to come to terms with them first.

“I’ll have to think about it…”

His hand left your shoulder and you felt a weird palpitation from your heart when his warmth left you. _Weird_ , you thought to yourself but didn’t dwell on it. You saw Shiro’s eyes slightly widen as well, but it was brief.

“I know, you still have Thetis to think about.” He continued.

“Yeah…” You sighed softly. 

“Whatever decision you make, I’ll support it.”

Your face softened into a sweet smile. “Thank you, Shiro. You’re always there for me, you know?” You understand why Keith looked up to this man so much. He was kind, caring, and always there for you. He was a good leader and had a presence you couldn’t ignore. It felt like you could tell him almost anything as he was very easy to open up to.

Shiro remained silent after your comment and remained staring at your face. You were waiting for him to respond to what you said, but his next words were completely off topic. “Everyone’s on the balcony, we should go join them.” Without any more to say, Shiro walked off ahead of you. Another thing you noticed about Shiro was you couldn’t read his mind at all. There were obvious times when you could tell when he was frustrated or tired, or even happy, but there were situations like this where he would completely blank out sometimes whenever he talked to you. It was somewhat robotic, and then he’ll reboot himself with a different topic, almost like he was avoiding the original topic. It made you confused honestly. Was it something you said?

You pondered this as you strolled after Shiro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: The Beginning of The End pt 1
> 
> So the "final battle" with Zarkon is divided into two parts and will probably be relatively short chapters with changes added to it, of course! I'm just so excited because we're just getting closer and closer and closer! UGH! Can't wait!! Seriously!!
> 
> Thanks for all the comments and Kudos, loves!!
> 
> EDIT: 10/4 - Hey guys! Just letting you know that this weekend, I'm going to NYCC! I'll be checking out the Voltron panel too! So because of that, the next update might be a little delayed this weekend. Just letting you guys know! Thank you!


	21. The Beginning of The End Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! If you didn’t see the edited notes in the last chapter, I went to NYCC! It was really fun. I saw the Voltron panel too, but we’ll save all those details for the ending notes! Enjoy the chapter!!

**Chapter XXI: The Beginning of The End part 1**

“Alright, guys, listen up.” Shiro was standing in the center of the room, arms crossed on his chest and his voice reverberating throughout as it reached the ears of everyone around him. There was a hologram of the plan floating in front of him, and he motioned with his hands to change it as he spoke. You were listening intently on the plan, making sure you committed it to your memory. Though, you were feeling nervous and you couldn’t stop your hands from shaking while Shiro explained step by step for everyone to understand. This was truly a dangerous mission, and possibly the final one. And there was this uneasiness you felt within your stomach that something was going to go wrong, but you had to put your trust in your comrades so that everything would run smoothly. When it was time for the mission to start, you were able to slip away and meet Shiro before he left. You were in the Black Lion hanger when he spotted you and he looked more than surprised to see you.

“____? What are you doing here?” He stepped towards you as you backed away from his Lion. You were touching it while you waited for him. You wanted to talk to Shiro before he left because that uneasy feeling wasn’t going away. You were wondering if you talked with Shiro, you would, hopefully, feel more relaxed.

“Um, I just wanted to wish you luck on your part of the mission. It’s dangerous, you know.”

“I know it is, but someone has to do it and because of Zarkon’s connection with the Black Lion, I’m the best candidate.” Shiro’s gaze lingered on his Lion. You wondered what he was thinking about as his eyes seemed so far away.

“Just be safe, okay?” Shiro could tell you were worried. You were fiddling with your fingers, your eyes were to the floor, and the frown on your lips didn’t suit your lovely face at all.

“Have faith in us, ____. We’ll get through this. As long as everyone does their part, we’ll succeed. I know we will.” 

“I know, but… just promise me you’ll come back safe, Shiro.” Your uneasiness was getting worse. Even though Shiro’s smile, which normally settled your heart, was directed at you, you still felt like something was wrong.

He reached for your arm and held it tightly, his expression turned serious as he stared straight into your face. “I promise. Now head for the Bridge, I’m sure they need you.” With that, Shiro put on his helmet and boarded his Lion. You didn’t stay to watch him depart and you did as he said and returned to the Bridge, but your heart was still not freed from the uneasiness that plagued it. You just had to carry on with hope that the mission ends successfully and that everyone returns safely.

It wasn’t long until Shiro let everyone know he was in position. The Blade of Marmora leader, Kolivan expressed his concerns about not hearing any word from Thace, their spy on the Galra ship, and wanted to abort the mission. Allura was quick to shoot down any ideas about aborting the mission. She raised her voice at the leader and spoke with such aggressiveness that you wanted to follow her every command. Moments like these often reminded you that Allura was not only just a sweet Altean woman but a strong _princess_ ready to lead.

“It’s held you back. Your caution is the reason Zarkon is still in power.” You watched the two leaders go back and forth with each other on whether to abort the mission or not.

Kolivan had turned to face Allura, his voice as calm as ever. “We would rather wait than jeopardize everything. Besides, it’s too late to get someone else on the inside.” 

“I’ll do it.” Everyone’s eyes were on Keith who suddenly stood up from his chair.

“What?” Allura narrowed her eyes at Keith, her voice filled with shock and disbelief at his suggestion.

“I’ll sneak into Zarkon’s ship. I’m Galra, so I’ll be able to interact with their technology.” Keith turned to Pidge. “Pidge, you can rig up one of those pods with a cloaking device, right?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Going onto Zarkon’s ship is a suicide mission. I would never command someone so inexperienced to go on a mission so dangerous.” Thace spoke up, clearly against the idea of Keith doing this. But nothing in Keith’s hardened eyes said he was convinced.

“No one’s commanding me. I’m doing it.”

“And I’m coming along with you.” Keith opened his mouth right away, probably to protest you joining but you shushed him, shaking your head in the process. A small smirk was on your lips as you stared at him. “You didn’t think you were going to do this alone, right? Suicide mission or not, we’re together on this.”

“There’s nothing I can say that can stop you from doing this, huh?” He sighed softly, watching that smirk on your face grow wider. You weren’t going to let Keith go on this mission alone, not when you were still feeling this uneasiness. You didn’t care how dangerous it was, and Keith could tell by the look on your face that there was nothing he could say to convince you otherwise.

“Pidge, get that pod ready.” Shiro’s voice came from castle’s intercoms. “Keith, ____... Let me know when you’re on your way. I’ll give you guys cover.” By the sound of Shiro’s voice, it seemed like it pained him to let you two go on this dangerous mission, but he knew he had no choice. It was now or never in this fight against Zarkon.

 

Keith quickly pulled you behind one of the corners before you stepped out into the violet colored halls that the Galra ships always seemed to fashion. You felt your heart moving erratically with one look from Keith as he narrowed his eyes at you. He didn’t say a word, but you knew by the look in his eyes that there was a guard lurking behind the corner. He brought a finger to his lips and you nodded at him. He then peeked his head from behind the corner and saw two guards having a short conversation before walking down the hall in the opposite direction. Kolivan had voiced that the central hub of the Galra fleet was straight ahead beyond the large door. Once Keith thought it safe, he motioned for you to run and the two of you sprinted down the hall, your footsteps light against the reflective floors, eyes frantically looking around for any signs of Galra soldiers appearing, stolen guns clutched to your breasts, and your finger on the trigger to easily pull for any unwanted presence. You couldn’t stand to hold this gun in your hands, the same type of gun that killed several of your students and peers. You imagined being in the position of the soldiers and just pulling the trigger on innocent children and people. Your stomach curled at the thought. 

“You okay?” Keith asked, his voice was no higher than a whisper. He noticed your face contorted into anguish. Your eyes were far, brows pushed together until your forehead wrinkled, and you were biting your bottom lip. Your expression relaxed once Keith spoke and you shook your head—probably to also rid of the memories that haunted you.

“I’m fine.” You had no time to dwell on your trauma. You had to get a grip for the sake of universe.

Keith didn’t press on it and continued on until you two were facing the large door you were informed about. There was a scanning pad with an outline of a glowing handprint and there was no doubt in Keith’s mind that this was how you entered inside. He placed his palm upon the scanner, and the door slid opened without hesitation. It was like another confirmation for Keith and his heritage. He truly was Galra.

The sight beyond the large double doors were almost as blinding as the halls. Hues of bright purple and red lights surrounded the central hub as a floating sole pathway led up to the terminal. The object that fashioned the red lights were hanging up around the room, they looked like motherboard grids but with red as the streaks and black as the base. Keith wasn’t taking in the sights as you were, he rushed ahead towards terminal.

“Kolivan, We’re in. Now what?” Keith placed his gun on the floor just as you made it by his side. You were looking at the screens that was showing graphs and schematics of different levels of the ship. It was also in Galra language which you couldn’t understand. Keith was typing away at the holographic image that appeared from the wrist of his suit. He followed Kolivan’s orders and entered the password he gave him. The terminal flashed red and began to rapidly beep.

“It doesn’t seem to be working.” Keith furrowed his eyebrows.

“Try it again.” Kolivan insisted, but before Keith could give it another shot, the door behind you two beeped and slid opened. Keith reacted fast, grabbing your hand and his gun and taking cover from one of the blocks of machinery near the terminal. You covered your mouth to prevent any small sounds from slipping out and you watched as Keith peeked his head out to spy on the visitor.

A Galra man who looked like he’s seen better days, walked to the terminal and started furiously typing away on it. Shortly after, the door slid open again and revealed two masked figures behind it. They were wearing long robes that concealed their body and draped to the floor. It was the druids, Hagger’s magicians.

“And now we know you were attempting to shut down the system.” They said before they rushed towards the Galra man. The Galra man continued to type even as they were closing in on him. And once he was done, he turned around and faced the cloaked figures. 

“You’re too late!” He yelled.

“No, Thace. You’re too late. We already changed the code.” One of them spoke calmly and Thace’s eyes widened to the sound of the terminal behind him beeping once again. The Druids spoke no longer and dashed in the air ready to unleash their attack on the already injured Thace. Orbs of dark matter grew within their curved hands, aimed at Thace as he braced for the blast. Before you know it, Keith disappeared from your side and he jumped out and threw his blade at the Druids. It pierced one of them in the torso and it screamed in agony until it disappeared into an orb of light without a trace. Keith’s blade fell to the floor with a thud and the other Druid didn’t so much as flinched at the loss of his companion. A dark orb grew within its palms and it shot a line of energy towards Keith and Thace. They quickly dodged it and Keith was able to obtain his sword once again. He dashed towards the robed figure with Thace right behind him. You jumped out from hiding with your gun, shooting at the Druid to provide cover fire. You were careful not to hit Thace or Keith as they battled with the Druid.

There was even a moment when Keith fell off the edge which gave you a heart attack, but he quickly recovered, swinging under the platform and boosting himself in the air with his jetpack. With the combined attacks from you, Thace, and Keith, the three of you beat the Druid, ending its life with Thace throwing it into one of the grid-like structures that hanged around the room. It electrified him, giving him a painful death as he combusted into flames. 

“Thace, I’m Keith and this is ____, we’re Paladins of Voltron.” Keith introduced himself and you once Thace turned to face him.

Thace had glanced down at his blade. “And a fellow Blade, I see. I guess we haven’t failed.”

“Not yet.”

“What should we do now? The password doesn’t work, right? How would we power down Zarkon’s ship?” You asked, turning slightly to look at the terminal that was glowing red. Thace walked over to terminal, glancing over the screen like he was looking for something. 

“We’ll just have to find another way.” Keith answered you while he was walking down the platform towards the door. You heard a voice from your helmet’s communication systems and you recognized it to be Lance’s.

“This is getting hairy. How you doing, Keith?” He sounded a little stress as you could hear the faint sounds of his Lion’s movements and blasts from enemy fire. The rest of the Paladins were struggling out there, trying to buy you two some time. You were desperately trying to figure out what to do. Keith seemed to had slice at the door’s scanner to prevent anyone from coming in as he was explaining to Lance about the situation. By the time Keith returned, he noticed Thace squatting near the terminal and plugging in large wires into the system. His actions had you wondering what he was doing, and Keith’s next words showed he was wondering the same thing. 

“What exactly are you doing?”

Thace had just plugged in more wires before he slightly turned to look at Keith. “I’m using the main power to overload the system.”

It came to Keith in an instant, his eyes widening slightly. “You’re turning the room into a bomb?”

There was a slight pause before Thace spoke and you couldn’t quite read the tone of his voice. “It’s the only way.”

You and Keith looked to one another, but you couldn’t exactly protest to the idea. Both of you couldn’t figure out another alternative to shutting down Zarkon’s ship and Thace’s way actually seemed reasonable. You and Keith nodded at each other and Thace had commanded you two to watch the door while he worked to overload the system. You and Keith had your guns pointed at the entrance. Even though Keith had destroyed the scanner, you knew the Galra would find another way to break in. 

And you were right. It wasn’t long before the Galra soldiers forced their way in. They blew up the sealed door and started running in, one after the other. You and Keith began to fire at the door, dropping every soldier that ran in. 

“____, up there!” Keith yelled as he started shooting one of the grid-like structures that hanged above the door. You shot at it and it broke off and blockaded the door. 

“At least that would hold off any more soldiers for now.” You sighed softly and lowered your gun.

Keith turned to look at Thace. “That solves one problem, but now we’re trapped in here.”

“No, we’re not. There’s an exit through the main power conduit. It leads to the second deck.” Thace pointed to the red abyss just a few steps behind the terminal. He looked to the both of you. “Go now.” 

“What? No, we’re not gonna leave you.” Keith took a step forward but Thace shook his head.

“You must. I will shut down the system. Paladins, this is where my journey ends, but as members of Voltron, you have a bigger mission. You must understand that.”

“Thace…” You looked down at your feet, shutting your eyes like you were in pain. You then looked at Thace, gathering enough strength to smile at him as this would be the last time you’ll ever see him. “Thank you.” 

“It was an honor to meet you.” Keith quietly said, and it felt like he wanted to say more but the explosion that sounded at the blockaded entrance ruined his words. The Galra was trickling in the room one after the other.  

“Go! now!” That was you and Keith’s cue to leave. You dropped your gun besides Thace while Keith handed his gun to him. You and Keith were holding hands as you jumped into the red abyss, the jetpacks at the back of your suits were slowing your descent. You can hear the thundering shots of guns above your head, you weren’t sure if it belonged to Thace or the Galra, but you knew there was no turning back now. For Thace’s sake, you had to survive with Keith. The rush to escape from Zarkon’s ship was exhilarating as it was a race against time. By the time you got to the second deck, there was a door at the end of a long hall and you and Keith rushed to the end, using anything sticking out from the walls around you to propel yourself forward. A large blast shook the entire ship and you felt the heat of the fire right on your tail, you turned around just in time to see the roaring blast of fiery terror chasing behind you. You gasped, your eyes widening as the blast reflected in your irises and gave a frightening glow within them. It was like you were staring at death itself, a cold chill ran down your spine as you suddenly felt your body froze. If it wasn’t for Keith pulling you along, you would’ve already met your doom. 

Keith knew this was impossible to outrun. If he didn’t think of something fast, it wouldn’t be long before the flames engulfed the both of you. So, he quickly pulled you behind him, and held out his arm where a shield formed from his suit. He braced for impact and you held on to his body tightly, shutting your eyes as you waited to meet with the force of the blast.

It happened in an instant. Your body was flung so far away from the ship and because of the force of the blast you were spinning in the air like a windmill. You were separated from Keith, but you heard his grunts as he tried to still himself. The lack of gravity in Space helped to slow your movement to a stop and you were now just casually floating, surrounded by the distant stars that seemed to bring peace to this chaotic warzone. You found yourself staring in amazement, like it was your first time seeing that canvas of lights, constant in their form as they decorated the endless galaxy. You didn’t notice the Galra ships shutting down around you as your eyes were stuck on the beauty that surrounded you. 

“____!” Your eyes flickered to Keith who was jetpacking towards your direction. You smiled softly, leaning forward and holding out your hands. Your fingers intertwined when he got closer and a look of relief crossed Keith’s expression when he saw you weren’t injured. “You okay?” He asked to make sure and your smile just grew wider.

“I’m fine, and you?”

“Never better.” He gave a lopsided smile and he pulled you into his chest, so you wouldn’t float away from him. You were holding onto Keith, looking upon the Galra ship you were just in as it was just floating mindlessly like you were, smoke emitting from the giant hole you flew out of. “Thace did it.” Keith said, and you felt his arm tightened around your body, squeezing you even though you were in your suit. Keith sounded relieved yet sad that he lost a comrade. You knew if there was a way to save him, Keith would’ve taken that chance.

“He’s a hero.” You commented before a shadow hovered over both you and Keith. You heard a loud yet soft growl, almost like a lion and you two turned around and saw the powerful presence of the Red Lion. Its eyes were glowing, and it seemed like Keith expected his Lion because his expression didn’t change at the sight of it. You were trying to figure out how his Lion was moving on its own without anyone being in the cockpit. Keith told you he’ll explain later and the two of you boarded his Lion.

The mission was far from over, in fact, it was only just the beginning. And you and Keith knew that even as you were flying into the giant wormhole Allura created. You were standing by Keith’s side, your hand on top of his while he was holding onto the handles that drove his Lion. No words were said between you two as you gazed at the abnormal sight within the wormhole. _This was it._ You thought to yourself and glared at Zarkon’s ship that was just ahead of you. The day has finally come to end this. To end the Galra reign. To avenge the universe, your students, your peers, and all of Thetis. It was up to you and the Paladins to finally bring peace to _everyone_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: The Beginning of The End Part II
> 
> I skipped a few scenes of this episode because it's not really important to the story. But that doesn't mean it didn't happen lol So that moment with Allura and Keith making up did happen. I just didn't include it. I also didn't go into detail with certain moments in the chapter because we already know what happens lol I wouldn't say I'm rushing but I really want to get through Zarkon's battle like really fast!! Anyway,
> 
> yEAH! I went to NYCC!! Saw the Voltron panel WHICH WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! I'm so glad I got to attend the final panel. Are you guys ready for season 8?!? I know I am! I also got pretty teary because It's going to end. I can't believe it. I really don't want it to end :( But all good things come to an end, I guess.
> 
> Also next chapter might be delayed slightly because of midterm week! I'll still be working on the chapter, of course. But just warning you guys that it might be delayed.
> 
> But thank you guys for the comments and kudos!! I'm so hype that all of you are excited for what's to come!! We're nearing the halfway point of this series, which I personally call "The Era of Shiro" Muahaahha! Until next time!!


	22. The Beginning of The End Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little short, my apologies! Enjoy!

**Chapter XXII: The Beginning of The End Part II**

 

Silence.

It was all you could make out as you felt yourself floating mindlessly. Pain had surged through your body from your head to your toes, like a lightning strike that tore through the skies and onto the ground, cracking the hard pavement that was fragile to its power and then a roar of thunder shook the surroundings, threatening any soul stepping in its path. The lack of gravity made your body as light as a feather, but it still felt as heavy as rocks. Your fingers twitched to shake the stiffness that plagued your limbs, and your eyes fluttered open to an array of blurred colors. You couldn’t make out anything and suddenly a painful headache pulsed at your temples. A small groan left you and you winced at the throbbing, lifting your hand, which felt like a hundred weights, to hold your head.

_“Paladins! Shiro! Can you hear me?”_

A desperate cry sounded out. A voice of the familiar. 

“Yes, we’re here…” You said, but no response came after. You had thought you said something but not a sound came out. The energy was sapped out of you in an instant from that single blast. Even though your senses were dulled, you didn’t miss the arm that wrapped around your midsection, pulling you in a direction. Your eyes landed on a face and the voice that came out was echoing.

“____, drink this!”

“Keith?” You matched the voice with a name, but still his face was blurred. You felt something touch your lips and a bitter taste washed over your mouth. It made you cough, violently, your body hunched over, and hands were soon grasping your shoulders to keep you still.

_“Yes, Princess. We’re alive.”_

Another voice was heard, but it didn’t echo and immediately, you knew it was Shiro’s. He sounded tired, like he had just woken up from a slumber. You picked your head up, your vision as clear as before, you saw the dark blue irises scanning your face, eyebrows knitted in worry, and a frown on his lips. You realized that you were still in the cockpit of the Red Lion. The stiffness was leaving your body, but weakness quickly took its place and you still had the ache in your head.

“I gave you some medicine. How are you feeling?" 

“Tired.” You responded to Keith, shaking your head slightly. “What the hell was that?” You remembered briefly the second phase of the mission was going smoothly. Voltron managed to strike most of the vital parts of Zarkon’s ship, the weapon systems, the engines, and next was going to be the bridge but Voltron was quickly intercepted by a blast of dark energy and left it immobile. You never felt so much pain before in your life and it lingered even after the impact. 

“I don’t know, but it came from Zarkon’s ship.” Keith turned to look at his screen, shortly dragging his body to his seat once you gave him the okay on your condition. It looked like Keith was also experiencing some fatigue from the blast. He grabbed onto the handles and tried to move his Lion, but no response.

After a relieved sigh and some words from Coran, Allura asked, _“Is Voltron operational?”_

And Keith replied with a soft groan, “I can’t move my lion.” He hung his head in either defeat or in exhaustion. The other paladins seemed to be in the same predicament as they voiced similar issues for their lion. Coran explained how Voltron was hit by some kind of witch craft and it sapped the quintessence out of it, rendering it useless. He warned them how another attack like that could possibly be fatal.

 _“Wait.”_ Lance’s voice suddenly cuts through. _“What’s that?”_

You peered at Zarkon’s ship with as much fear as in Lance’s voice and saw a large door sliding open. The light was almost blinding, but you couldn’t miss the figure that stood at the opening, menacing in all its glory. It looked like a copy of Voltron but with a face that resembled the cruel Galra leader, Zarkon, and had spread-out wings that oddly looked like a cape. As you and the paladins look upon the sight in horror, Allura was trying to encourage them, reminding them of their training and everything they went through. But Voltron still wasn’t responding and the panic in your heart was growing at an expediential rate.

You and Keith worriedly looked to one another, clasping your hands together as it was the only source of comfort you could gain from this moment. Seeing Zarkon’s new weapon and Voltron being unresponsive has made you feel hopeless. Some part of you wished the paladins didn’t go through with the mission. Zarkon was just pulling surprises after surprises, how were the paladins supposed to fight this?

He was flying straight for the immobile Voltron and all you could do was just stare at the frightening object that grew closer and closer. You shut your eyes, squeezed Keith’s hand, and waited for the devastating impact. 

A ray of light had pierced through the dark abyss of space and you opened your eyes and jumped to the sound of a blast. You saw the castle hurtling towards Zarkon’s weapon, lasers spewing from the tip as the force pushed Zarkon into his ship. The blast from the castle was being redirected by the weapon and the ray of light pierced through parts of Zarkon’s ship until the castle’s very own attack was directed at them.

That curling scream of Allura’s was enough to plunge you into despair. The communications of the castle were cut as it took a direct blow from its own attack. You watched in horror as tears started to blur your vision. You brought a hand to hold your gasping mouth and a whisper of Allura’s name was all you could say as you watched the explosions set off within the castle while it drifted away. Keith was also speechless, unable to say a word as he watched on with wide eyes. Shiro yelled Allura’s name in desperation but of course, no one responded, and the rest of the paladins were silently wallowing in their own misery. Allura tried to help the paladins but it led to her demise and Zarkon’s weapon was unscratched and ready to attack the frozen Voltron. 

You didn’t know how much hope you had left. Everything just seemed to be heading down south and Zarkon seemed to be on the winning side of this war. 

 _“Everybody, listen.”_ You heard Shiro’s voice through your communicator as you were wiping the tears that rolled down your cheeks. _“We have to fight. We have to channel all our energy."_ There was not a drop of fear in his voice as he spoke. Strong and assertive, like always, like the leader he is. _“Visualize five becoming one. We have to focus everything we have into moving Voltron.”_ Keith took a deep breath and he grabbed the handles of his lion and closed his eyes. You closed your eyes too, placing your hand on top of his to concentrate with him. You knew there was nothing you could contribute to his lion as you had no connection with it, but you wanted to support Keith as much as you could. _“We are the last thing standing in the way of Zarkon’s total universal domination. I’m not giving up that fight! Are you, Hunk?”_

_“No.”_

_“Pidge?”_

_“Never!”_

_“Lance?”_

_“Let’s go down swingin’.”_

_“Keith? ____?”_

“I’m all in.”

“I’m with you guys till the end.” You smiled at Keith and he returned it. 

 _“Then let’s get Voltron back in this battle.”_  

And as if on cue, Voltron lit up and the paladins regained control of their lions. They rushed towards Zarkon with renewed spirits and a sword at their side. Zarkon too, hurtling at them with his own sword. The two swords of energy collided, and sparks flew from the impact. Voltron’s sword met with Zarkon’s several times and every attack were blocked by his amazing defensives. It was the most powerful enemy the paladins have faced yet. The sweat that rolled down Keith’s forehead was proof of that. He was moving as fast as he could, arms thrusting forward, and eyes set upon the screen in front of him. His jaw was shut tight and you could hear his heavy breathing through his gritted teeth. There was not much you could do for the red paladin at this point. Everything was up to the combined power of him and his friends. 

 

The battle between Voltron and Zarkon went on for about an hour of non-stop fighting, and it felt like the longest hour induced with stress, anxiety, and hope. As in all battles, the tides of success often changed. There were times when paladins were faced with defeat, and had Voltron disformed, and Shiro was unresponsive for a moment. But the black paladin awakened with a new vigor of powers and together, they reformed Voltron.

The castle’s communication systems also came back online, and it was a relief to know that everyone survived that deadly attack.

When it was down to the final moments of this war, the paladins worked together to finally put down Zarkon. You were holding your breath for the entire moment from when Voltron was soaring towards Zarkon, sword tightly in its grasps, to when the sword was thrusted in the torso of Zarkon’s machine. However, Zarkon didn’t accept defeat. His desire to obtain the Black Lion was too great and he grabbed onto the head of Voltron in a desperate attempt to follow through with his plan. The hands of his machine lit a purple light and electricity surged around the head. An overwhelming amount of quintessence was surrounding Voltron. 

But the paladins had the same drive as Zarkon, if not, stronger than his, and the blade that was pierced through his torso suddenly became engulfed in flames. And Keith pulled the sword out before, finally, dealing the final blow. Voltron braced for the explosion that came after and the force of the explosion separated them into their lions.

You and Keith were a bit out of it after the explosion. You had to shake your head to rid of the lingering feeling, and you didn’t have time to survey the debris to see if the job was done. Coran was already calling the paladins back onto the castle because backup for the Galra had arrive. And Keith and Pidge was flying to the castle when they spotted the Black Lion still unresponsive and floating slightly away.

“Shiro!” Keith gasped, turning his lion around instantly towards the decapitated lion.

 _“We need to tow him back onto the ship!”_ Pidge shouted, following Keith and grabbing onto the Black Lion. They helped him into his hanger before going to theirs and once everyone was on board, Allura wormhole the castle away from Zarkon’s ship, escaping the attacks from the incoming Galra ships.

Keith jumped out of his lion the second he landed, pulling his helmet off his head and throwing it on the ground. You were right behind him, your helmet also upon the ground as you chased after him. You were still feeling the effects of the blast you encountered but you tried your best to ignored them. Even with the pounding headache, knowing Shiro’s condition was far more important than your health. You were hoping he was just passed out, that maybe he was just incredibly exhausted after the battle. He promised you he’ll be safe, so that means he’s okay, right?

The other paladins joined you two as you were running towards the Black Lion’s hangar. Keith was ahead of the pack, the first one in there while the rest trickled in. You followed after him inside the Black Lion all the way until you reached the cockpit. The door slid open shortly and Keith quietly called Shiro’s name.

There he was, collapsed on his chair and unconscious. His skin was unusually pale like a ghost and his lips were lightly blue and parted while he laid lifeless. You froze at the sight, staying at the door while the paladins rushed past you all except Pidge who turned right back around, yelling something about getting a stretcher.

“Shiro? Shiro!” Keith kept calling his name, his voice cracking as he removed his helmet. There was no response from him. Keith touched his face, how cold it felt, like he was sitting in a bed of snow the entire time. His fingers quickly traced down his neck, pressing two fingers upon it while his breath started to shudder. After a moment, his eyes widened, and he snapped his head towards the group.

“He’s still alive!”

“We have to work fast then! Where is Pidge with the stretcher?” Allura exclaimed just as Pidge walked through the doors with a stretcher that was hovering off the floor.

“I got it!” She pushed it closer and Keith wasted no time lifting Shiro off his chair with the help of Hunk and Lance and laid him down upon it.

“Stay with me, Shiro.” You heard Keith’s whisper as the group pushed Shiro towards the exit. You were able to glance at his face just before they past you and you couldn’t forget how lifeless Shiro looked, like he was minutes away from death’s door. His lips that usually held his warm smile was replaced with lips that laid limply, his eyes were shut with discoloring bags that hung under them like curtains, and his hair was disheveled, possibly from his helmet that was abruptly removed from him. You stood there and stared as they carried him away, wanting to follow them but was afraid to because of the fear of falling upon your legs that suddenly grew weak. They were already shaking under your weight, actually, your entire body was shaking, and you didn’t realize it until you wrapped your arms around it.

You were left alone near the door of the Black Lion’s cockpit, mind filled with your memories of Shiro, from his face, his smile, his jokes, his laughter, his compassion, his guidance. You didn’t want to think of a universe without them. Without Shiro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Slumber
> 
> I'm sorry that I summarized most of Zarkon's battle. I was struggling whether to write it in detail or not and I'm like, naaaaah, I'll just write out the important parts. If I wrote it in detail the chapter would be way longer and drawn out in my opinion.
> 
> Oh yeah, a major change. Yeah, Shiro's body didn't disappear yaaaaay! So what does that mean? No clone arc?? Yaaaaaaay! Yeah I decided to not include the whole Shiro clone arc because think about it, do you know how complicated it would be to include the whole soul mark business with the clone. Like, I thought of so many scenarios of the clone arc with the soul mark stuff and it became super complicated lol the clone arc is already complicated so I was like nope nope nope, I have another idea. So stay tune to find out what happens to Shiro lol
> 
> Thanks for the comments, kudos, and all the love <3 <3


	23. Slumber

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess you guys can know what happens to Shiro pretty early lol
> 
> This is like the first time in a while I got a chapter done so fast lol Then again, this chapter is pretty short. It's supposed to be anyway. Enjoy, loves~

**Chapter XXIII: Slumber**

_Three months after the FOZ (Fall of Zarkon)_

 

You were growing terribly used to the repetitive beeps of the heart monitor in the medical bay. It seemed to always match the beating of your heart, slow and solemn—and at times, would pick up for no apparent reason, perhaps, because of the hope born from the twitches of his lips, or his eyes frantically moving about under the lids, waiting for the curtain to rise and reveal those dark gray irises you so wished to see again. The smell of antiseptic was an all too familiar scent of this room. It was to the point where your clothes began to smell sour and everyone knew where you came from in that one small scent. You found yourself in this room more often than you would’ve liked, you rather not be in this room at all, and rather that the bed in front of you was empty, and the man laying upon it was where he was supposed to be, in the Bridge and resuming his place as the leader of Voltron.

“Hey Shiro.” You quietly greeted him, a smile packed with sadness was something he probably didn’t want to see on your face, but there was nothing you could genuinely smile about in this situation. It was already hard enough seeing Shiro in this position, the once strong and powerful Shiro, like a mountain you could lean on and it’ll never break. He was the person who held the paladins together, and now that has crumbled, and the group nearly lost its way. He was now broken, still like a planet who has lost its sun, the light no longer shines upon it and it lays stuck in limbo surrounded by the infinite abyss, even the distant stars’ light wasn’t strong enough to lead it out of the darkness.

You always greeted him when you came as if you would receive a response from him. It’s been so long since you heard his voice, sometimes you thought you have forgotten it. You came every day for the past three months expecting to see him awake. You didn’t want to believe the words from all the doctors who saw him.

_“We can’t really rule what happened to him…”_

You refused to believe it.

_“But it could be possible, due to the overexposure of quintessence…”_

You were shaking your head, trying to rid of the words echoing in your head. 

_“…that it put his body in a state of comatose. We don’t know the effects of the overexposure on the human species, but it seems like his body is protecting itself by putting him in that state…”_

You sighed softly and reached for his hand that laid limply on the bed. It was covered completely in bandages. 

_“At this rate, with the injuries he sustained from the war, he may never wake up.”_

_Never wake up._ Those words were taboo in your head, it made you croak at the thought of it and a lump in your throat formed, it was a hassle every time you swallowed because it would hurt. Your throat always felt like it was tightening every time you thought of the doctor’s words. You were practically squeezing Shiro’s hand at this point. Tears were falling from your eyes before you could stop it, yet you still had a small smile on your face.

“Um, let’s see, what have you missed? Well... Lance and Hunk are on Planet Puig, getting rid of the Galra influence there. Allura and Coran are getting all dressed up for a meeting of the coalition. We’re hoping to have Puigians join us in the fight of ridding the Galra once and for all. Um…” You paused, looking at Shiro’s face as you saw it twitch. You felt your heart jump, though you knew it was just a false alarm. You shouldn’t get your hopes up.

“Pidge just came back from her mission. I don’t know what she’s doing now… And Keith… he’s… just not himself lately. Why? Well, you know, ever since you…” You looked away from him, bringing a hand to rub the stray tears from your cheeks. You continued anyway and lifted Shiro’s hand off the bed. You pushed your face against it and your eyes returned to gaze at his blank expression. “And… everyone is waiting for you to come back, Shiro. We miss you so much and it’s just not the same without you. We’re waiting for you so please… come back to us.”

Anything, you were begging for any reaction from him. But he laid there unresponsive like he has been for months, his breathing was so light that anyone could’ve mistaken him for a corpse. The color of his skin had returned to its normal shade and the hair on his head, jaw, and around his lips were growing longer and longer each day. The usual shaved sections were now grown out as the length stopped by his ears. The sole white bangs of his hair grew until it past his nose and touched his bottom lip. You noticed he had lost some muscle mass and it was expected, he hasn’t eaten anything solid in months and his only source of nutrition was from a tube that was attached to his arm by a needle. You didn’t know how long his body would survive on it. The doctors told you it was only a matter of time before his body shuts down due to the lack of nutrition, they never gave you an estimate of time and that worried you.

“Please, Shiro…” You knocked your head down, squeezing his hand as tightly as you can. You felt the slight warmth of his hand in your palms and you felt your heart palpitate. Shiro’s heart monitor also spiked for a moment but you didn’t notice it as you were drowning in your tears of sorrow.

 

When Allura first mentioned about finding a new pilot for the Black Lion, Keith was shocked, and then it turned into anger with him standing up from the lounge chair, hands by his sides and rolled up into shaking fists. He glared at his teammates, confused that they would even consider abandoning Shiro. You were sitting beside Keith, not knowing what to do as you listened to his outburst.

“No! He’s going to wake up! Shiro is the one person who never gave up on me. I won’t give up on him.”

Keith turned around and quickly left the room. You told the paladins that you would check up on him and you followed him out. You knew out of everyone, Keith was affected by Shiro’s condition the most. They were practically family and cared for one another like they were brothers. Shiro was there for Keith when he had no one and he basically raised and supported him. It was incredibly hard for Keith to accept that Shiro might not wake up.

“Keith!” He was nearly running down the halls as you chased after him. When you called to him, he surprisingly stopped but he didn’t turn to look at you when you caught up. 

“What?” You weren’t surprised by how cold he sounded.

“I just wanted to know if you’re okay.” You looked down at your feet. Shiro’s condition has also caused a strain in your relationship with Keith. Lately, he has been distant to the point where he no longer stayed in your room. The last time you shared beds with Keith was about two months ago because you came to his room wanting his comfort. Even then, he was distant, but it felt good being held by someone through grave times. You could tell even Keith appreciated it at the time because it made him briefly forget his worries. Sometimes you wished Keith would just share his feelings with you rather than bottling them up, to take comfort in each other rather than dealing with his problems by himself.

“Do I look okay? Of course, I’m not okay.” He spoke quickly, it almost sounded like he was grumbling to himself. 

“I-I… yeah—but—” 

“____, I’m sorry but right now, I just want to be alone.” His back was still facing you. He had no intentions of turning around to look at you.

“I… I get it.” And with that, Keith continued to walk down the hall, leaving you to stare at his back. You wish you could’ve said more, maybe comfort him through his time of hardship, but sadly, he wasn’t letting anyone in. He closed himself off.

The coalition meeting wasn’t starting for another two hours. You headed straight for the medical bay. It was the only place you thought of to stay. _Maybe Shiro woke up while I was gone._ You thought, feeling yet again hopeful, although the fear of facing reality was always creeping around in the darkest corners of your heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: The Black Lion
> 
> Gloomy times, right now. I mean Shiro's in a coma so I would be gloomy too.
> 
> Thanks for the Kudos and comments, and all the love for this series <3 <3 It really makes me proud to write this <3 Thanks guys!!!!


	24. The Black Lion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FIRST OF ALL! I'M BACK SO SORRY FOR THE HIATUS!! School is over and Just Until is back with updates! Whoop!!
> 
> SECOND OF ALL!! WE GOTTA TALK ABOUT SEASON 8 BUT UH... After this chapter!! Enjoy!!! Glad to be back!!

_Three months and a day after the FOZ (Fall of Zarkon)_

You were practically living in the medical bay now, waiting for Shiro to wake up. Like Keith, you were very stubborn and wouldn’t give up on Shiro no matter what but that didn’t mean you didn’t agree with Allura on finding a new pilot for the Black Lion. You wanted to find a temporary pilot until Shiro was well enough to come back. Voltron was the symbol of the coalition and if the lions couldn’t form Voltron, then what was the point? Voltron was needed in order to unite the universe against the Galra, without it, the coalition might fail.

“And because of that, I think we should find a new pilot. Temporary, of course.” You just finished explaining to Shiro, and as expected, silence was a response, not even a grumble or a groan, but just silence and the song of the heart monitor. You continued regardless. “I know it’s what you would want us to do. I can’t really see anyone else taking your place… Maybe Keith, but I know he doesn’t want to—”

You stopped as soon as you heard the door of the medical bay open. You glanced and saw Keith standing at the entrance, his eyes once wide before they settled down into their normal shape. Maybe Keith heard you talking and expected Shiro to be awake, but he walked into the same situation he has been for months, Shiro asleep on the bed and you by his side. Nothing has changed.

“Hey.” He gave a small wave.

“Hey…” And you returned it. It was a little awkward. You haven’t spoken to Keith since he dismissed you yesterday. He asked for his space and you were giving it to him, that and you didn’t want to add any more stress to yourself. Shiro was in a coma, your relationship was going to crap, Voltron couldn’t be formed, you had enough to deal with right now.

Keith pulled up a chair next to yours. He sat down with his body slightly hunched over and his elbows on his knees. His hands were together, and he was looking intently at Shiro. The silence between you two lingered and you could tell it was making Keith fidget in his chair. He was opening his mouth to speak. He wanted to say something, but he closed his mouth and sighed deeply through his nose. Keith wasn’t exactly the best at explaining how he was feeling, he often struggled with starting but once he did start, he’ll unleash his emotions like rushing water spewing from a broken dam. So, you usually waited for him to gather his words up.

“____.” After a few minutes, Keith finally started. You turned to look at him and he was staring directly at you. “I’m-uh… sorry about yesterday.” He simply mumbled, bringing a hand to hold the back of his neck. “Actually, about these past few months. I’ve just been…” Another sigh ripped through his words and you laid your hand on top of his that was resting on his knee. You were smiling softly at him and Keith returned it with a half-smile. His eyebrows relaxing once he caught sight of your soft expression. He overturned his hand to capture yours in his and his fingers easily laced with yours.

“It’s been hard…for all of us.” You whispered, and Keith shook his head.

“Still, I shouldn’t have treated you like that. The guys talked to me yesterday about finding a new pilot for the Black Lion, saying it was what Shiro would’ve wanted.”

“They’re right.” You found your eyes on Shiro. “Shiro would want us to move on, until he comes back.”

“Yeah… They’re in the lounge right now figuring out what we should do. They want you to be there too.”

“Me?”

“Aren’t you part of the team?” 

“I…” You paused and looked at Keith. “I guess… But what can I possibly do?” He stood up from his chair, his hand still in yours.

“You can do a lot, you know, you helped us so much already.” He gently tugged your arm, a soft smile growing on his face. “Let’s go.”

How easy it was to fall back into Keith’s arms after you two were distant for months, you truly did love him with all your heart. It was strange how relieved he made you by just the simple touch of his hand and the small smiles he seemed to do whenever he looked at you. You truly love him and yet, you couldn’t shake the emptiness that harbored within your soul. You didn’t feel complete… and you didn’t have a clue as to why that was. 

 

Like what Keith said, the rest of the paladins were brainstorming on who should be the next leader of Voltron in Shiro’s absence and the group quickly came up with allowing the Black Lion to choose its next pilot. You were somewhat surprised that even you were to be tested. You didn’t want to be the leader of Voltron, of course. From a teacher of Thetis to the leader of Voltron, it would look good on your resume, but you knew it just wasn’t your destiny. Keith also had similar thoughts, despite Shiro’s wishes on him becoming the next leader. 

Though, the other paladins seem kind of excited to try their luck with the Black Lion. Allura was first to go and you watched her step inside the Black Lion, her face hardened with determination. It must’ve been a few minutes before she stepped out, that determination melted into a look of disappointment. The Black Lion didn’t react at all.

Then it was Pidge’s turn. Same reaction. Hunk. Same reaction. And for Lance? Not a surprise, but same reaction. It now dwindled down to the last two people, you and Keith, and you were a little nervous about it. You were hoping the Black Lion wouldn’t react to you. You weren’t ready to lead this team or the coalition. 

You stepped into the darkened cockpit of the Black Lion. The last time you were here, you were watching the team carry Shiro’s limp body out of his chair, feeling your world slowly sinking into darkness. You stroked the smooth fabric of Shiro’s chair before you sat within it. Just sitting in his chair was making you realize just how large Shiro’s body was. You could reach the handles, but your feet were barely brushing the floor. You knew Pidge must’ve had a rough time when she was in here because she’s shorter than the rest of the gang. 

You weren’t sure what to do next when you were grasping upon the handles of the Black Lion. The screens remained dark, and the Lion didn’t stir from its slumber. It was nearly silent, if only your heart wasn’t thundering in your chest, it would be complete. You decided to close your eyes, concentrating on something that wasn’t the sound of your heart. You thought of Shiro and found yourself praying for his recovery, praying that he’ll return to take his rightful place as leader of Voltron.

You sighed softly after a while, feeling a little relieved. The Black Lion had no reaction to you and spared you from taking Shiro’s place. You stood up, no longer wanting to be in here, but before you could turn around and exit the cockpit, you squinted to the lights that suddenly flashed on your face from the screens, disrupting your vision momentarily for it to adjust to the lighting. You then felt rumbling under your feet, and soft growls surrounding you. It was loud enough to where it felt like it was booming in your ears and shaking your entire soul. It took a while for you to realize that it was the Black Lion making all that noise and you started to panic. You grabbed onto the handles and moved it forward, expecting the Lion to get up from its sprawled position but it remained as it was and continued to vibrate. 

“Is… Is the Black Lion… purring…?” The revelation came to you when you noticed the growls sounded a little too close to when a cat purred. You didn’t even know a lion could purr, let alone a technological one. “Is this even possible?” You looked around the cockpit, wide eyed, and a little freaked out. 

You dashed out of there and the moment you stepped out of the Black Lion, it returned to the state it was in, quiet and unresponsive.

“Uh… What the heck was that?” Lance looked confused.

“What did you do in there?” Allura stepped forward, it also seemed like she had no idea what was going on and that startled you.

“I-I didn’t do anything. The Black Lion just suddenly turned on and started making these strange noises. But I couldn’t move it or anything…” 

“Hmm… That’s strange. Never heard of that before.” Coran spoke up, bringing a hand to his chin.

“You’re telling me the Black Lion reacted to you, but you couldn’t move it? That’s strange, indeed.” Allura looked down, furrowing her brows at the idea. She then glanced at Keith who looked like he rather be anywhere else but here. “Keith, you’re the only one who didn’t try yet. Maybe we’ll get some answers if you do.”

He sighed softly at her mention before he began to drag his feet towards the Black Lion. You watched as he climbed into the mouth and walked up the stairs leading inside. Once he disappeared from your sight, you became lost in your thoughts, trying to come up with any explanation as to what went on in that Lion. If the Black Lion doesn’t react to Keith, then wouldn’t that make you the new leader of Voltron? Can you even handle that responsibility? Sure, you could lead a class of Thetian children on a school trip, but can you lead a coalition in war? You didn’t think you had it in you. Keith was definitely the better choice in this situation whether he liked it or not. 

So, you waited anxiously for the Black Lion to make any sort of reaction to Keith. You were almost praying it would. By now, Keith should already be sitting in the cockpit, waiting for the Black Lion to accept him. Time was ticking away and what felt like hours were just mere minutes. You honestly felt like it was forever since Keith went in and you could feel your heart weakening to the amount of pressure every passing second seemed to do to it. You were fiddling with your thumbs, biting your bottom lip, you couldn’t even remove your eyes from the Lion’s body.

The heavy sigh that left you grabbed the attention of Lance and you didn’t notice he had moved closer to you until you heard his voice.

“Don’t want to be the leader?” He sounded a bit solemn but was mostly curious about how you were feeling. 

“I can’t lead you guys, Lance. That’s not why I stayed here.”

“Why did you stay then?” You couldn’t answer him right away. Some part of you felt like if you said you were staying for Keith then it wouldn’t feel right. Maybe originally it was for Keith but now, you looked to the paladins like they were family. You wanted to help them as much as you can.

“To help you guys.” You decided to say. “But I can’t help you like this. I’m not suited for this.”

“Well, if the Black Lion does pick you then it believes you’re suited for this. Have some faith in yourself, ____.” You sighed again, running a hand over your face. Lance was quiet after but the next time he spoke, you felt like weights were lifted from your body. “Looks like you got your wish.”

You looked up and saw the Black Lion powered up, its eyes began to glow as well as the rest of his body. It stood up from his sprawled position and began to kneel. Its mouth opened, and Keith was revealed to be standing on the steps, gloom lived upon his face. Even with everyone congratulating him once he rejoined the team, his expression remained. You felt sorry for him, but you knew this was for the best. Even Lance thought so as he gave him some words of encouragement. You knew Lance wanted the position more than anyone, it was nice seeing him swallow up his pride to accept Keith as the new leader of Voltron.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: The Sun
> 
> Thanks for reading guys!!
> 
> Spoilers Ahead!!! SPOILERS AHEAD AND POSSIBLY IN THE COMMENTS IF YOU DIDN'T WATCH SEASON 8 LEAVE NOW I LOVE YOU OKAY BYE!!  
> \--  
> \--  
> \--  
> \--  
> \--  
> \--
> 
> So like how I feel about the final season for Voltron is… disappointment. And not because my ship didn’t make it (my ship was long dead) but it felt kind of rush to me. Here’s some of the stuff I liked and didn’t like.
> 
> Lance: I hated what they did to Lance. They didn’t give him any justice. Like how do you make him get the girl of his dreams and then separate them like that? And Lance just lives in a farm for the rest of his life?? Like wow, he’s happy alone with his new Altean marks?? That’s just messed up! I would’ve rather see him together with Allura and her preggos or something. I don’t ship Allurance but at least he would be happier. Like Allura pretty much trapped Lance into never forgetting her and moving on with those Altean marks. Every time he looks in the mirror, he’ll be thinking about her. And that's just sad to me. Seeing Lance looking at that flower was just depressing. 
> 
> Shiro: Shiro had no role this season. It always felt like he was just standing there and listening. Shiro’s aura just felt like he was always tired or something like that. And if they think adding Shiro’s wedding at the end would make everything all dandy after what they did to Adam just makes me laugh lol That was just soooo trash to me. 
> 
> Allura: Really? Sacrifice her at the end? Really? And I don’t get it. Am I missing something or did that evil entity meant nothing in the end for her? What happened to it? Did it just disappear? Why didn’t Horneva use it at the end, couldn’t she have controlled Allura? And when Horneva was controlling the Alteans, why wasn’t Allura controlled too? And why did she have to die? Couldn’t they have made only Horneva sacrifice herself to redeem herself in the end?? Like it’s the least she could do.
> 
> Keith: He was perf this season, I don’t care. He was perf. No one can touch my man. But I don’t like how it seemed like Keith and Shiro weren’t friends or brothers. Like they were acting like they don’t know each other. Wish I saw like a small moment with them talking about their concerns with war or something. If I just only watched season 8, I would’ve thought they didn’t know each other lol
> 
> More stuff: Wish that Lotor had more justice in this series. I was hoping for some Ex Machina stuff and he comes back alive or something lol Seeing his body was just chilling for me. Yeah they flashed it but like, wow he's dead in that chair. Seeing his childhood and what he went through was horrifying too.
> 
> All in all, season 8 for me was just blah... I wish it turned out better, especially for the last season. So what do you guys think? Did you like it or hate it?


	25. The Sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, well, well, it's been a while everyone. Explanation as to why, after this chapter. 
> 
> This chapter was supposed to be longer but I decided to save some scenes for the next chapter. Enjoy!

**Chapter XXV: The Sun**

_Four months after the FOZ (Fall of Zarkon)_

  

Darkness was swirling in an endless ditch, sticking to the shallow curved walls like thick ink. If a person were to be caught in it, it would shallow them whole and trap them in the abyss for all eternity. He felt it. He felt it calling him. Tempting him. He felt his entire body shifting towards it, the force was almost as great as a black hole. It promised to cleanse him, to free him, to love him, and of course, for just a simple price. _Such a small price._ It softly spoke, whispering into his ears until it made him shudder. He felt something touch his cheek and stroked his skin, how cold it felt, burning like it could’ve fused with his skin. Just barely, he could make out its form in the heavy darkness. And as he felt it depart, he grew colder and colder.

_Come._

It spoke, and he moved his feet that felt like bricks when he lifted them. It was like he was dragging his legs through a sheet of thick snow; his movements were lethargic like he had just learned how to walk. That single word kept echoing in the darkness, wrapping around his body and pulling him deeper in. He felt himself suffocating and his thoughts were fading, he couldn’t think but just do.

_Don’t._

It was then when he heard another faint voice and behind him, a speck of light shined in the distance. It was barely noticeable in a sea of darkness but the strength of such a small glimmer unraveled the restrains of his body. His lungs were filled with much needed air and his thoughts became clear as day. His eyes couldn’t leave the light as it twinkled like a star among shadows. For once in a long time, it felt like he had control of his limbs and he dashed towards it, ignoring the screams from the voice that forbade it.

But he could almost taste it as it was dancing on his fingertips, eyes tearing from the striking light of a sun. Is it a sun? He questioned. Yet he ran, ignorant of the possible danger and aware of the nostalgia it seemed to express. He rather dash towards the familiar than linger among the unfamiliar and the shadows that fade the closer he got to the “sun” had screamed in agony when they tried to chase after him. They couldn’t follow him into the realm of light.

He didn’t know where he had landed once he reached the end. The light had blinded him but all at once his senses had rushed into existence. He heard the repeated beeping of a machine and a sour smell of antiseptic lingered in the air like mist. He had not noticed his eyes were opened until the images before him was removed from a hazy filter. There was not a white ceiling split into two anymore but a single one that hung over his head. He was well aware of the sliver bangs that touched his nose and dried lips as well as the length of his hair touching the crook of his neck.

He had lifted his fingers and they felt heavy as they shook with weakness. He then turned his head slightly to the left. He could barely lift his head off the pillow but the sight before him made his eyes widen and his lips spread apart for an inaudible gasp.

He didn’t expect to see you by his bedside, your head upon his sheets as you used your arms as pillows. You were sound asleep with dried tears crystalizing on your cheeks and eyelashes. You looked different since he last saw you. How long has it been? He wondered, his eyes tracing over the darkness that plagued your skin under yours. You looked like you haven’t slept right for a while and your skin tone looked unnaturally pale. How could his absence have caused such a ruckus to your appearance? How long has it truly been?

As best as he could, he raised his bandaged hand and it shook in the air before he slowly rested it on the top of your head, he felt your hair texture under his palms through his bandages and a wave of relief washed over him as he confirmed that this was indeed reality. He smiled when he saw you shift slightly and started to nibble on your lip. It was a weak smile but all the more wholesome while he gazed at you. Definitely, you were a sight for sore eyes, or in this case, tired eyes. He remained staring at you until he drifted off shortly.

 

You were napping for about two hours before you woken up to a heavy weight on your head. At first, you were confused as to what exactly was on the top of your head until you have lifted yourself off the bed and saw Shiro’s hand falling to his side. Your eyebrows easily knitted in confusion and various questions had flooded your mind. Questions that you couldn’t bring to an answer because a voice had sounded out from the intercom out in the hall and it was Coran alerting you that the paladins were about to depart for their mission. They’ve been quite busy since the reveal of Lotor, Zarkon’s supposed son, and under the leadership of Keith, they’ve been actively trying to seek him out. Keith was an aggressive leader no doubt, although he has calmed down since encountering some problems on the way and the rest of the paladins had grown used to his command. 

It felt like things were finally starting to return to normal for them, but there would always be an empty pit in their stomachs with Shiro being gone. Especially for Keith, who was constantly reminded of him every time he stepped foot in the Black Lion and the simple words of “Form Voltron” had him reminiscing about the past.

You were walking towards the bridge with your mind still stuck on Shiro’s hand being on your head. You were wondering whether to make it a big deal or not or to bring it to the attention of the paladins. You ultimately decided against it as you didn’t want them to be distracted by something that could be absolutely nothing. You proceeded until you reached the bridge and found the paladins all suited up and in a crowd around Keith as they listened to him give his final words about the mission. As soon as they were broken up, greetings and smiles were sent your way by Pidge and Hunk. Allura, who was the new pilot for the Blue Lion, had also greeted you with a short hug. Lance, the new pilot for the Red Lion, was busy clarifying something with Keith but once he was done, he had said his hellos alongside with Coran.

 “____, how’s Shiro?” Keith always tended to ask you about Shiro whenever he saw you knowing that you had just came from the medical bay. He was desperate for some updates. You approached him, that solemn smile instantly letting him know that it was still the same results.

“Not much of a difference.” You shrugged yet Keith could tell by how your face twitched that you were bothered by it.

“It’s only a matter of time.” He smiled sadly and reached for your hand at your side to hold it.

“I know.” And you nodded, soaking up the faint warmth his presence gave you. Keith’s been more than supportive since you two had made up. Keith had channeled his anger of Shiro’s situation into determination and making Shiro proud when he wakes up has been his motivation. Keith believed Shiro was the true leader of Voltron, he was just keeping the seat warm for him.

“This mission shouldn’t take long, maybe a couple of hours.”

“Alright, just stay safe, okay?”

“You know I will.” Keith pulled in close to give you a quick kiss. Even though it was short, he remained in close proximity until you felt the heat of his breath brushing against your lips. You knew if you two were alone, his lips would’ve stayed longer but for respect of his team he kept the PDA to a minimum.

When he departed, you saw a glimpse of his smile directed at you and he walked to stand in front of his elevator leading to the Black Lion’s hangar. You waved the paladins goodbye and wished them luck on their mission. You then were engaged in a small conversation with Coran about nothing in particular before leaving him to man the bridge alone. This was the normal routine that you grew accustomed to since Keith became leader but sometimes, Coran would need an extra hand and you would aid him. You always looked forward to it because it was the time to learn more about Coran and his thoughts about what was going on. It was rare to be alone with him because he was always hanging around Allura or with the team. 

Because of that, he ended up being the only member of the team that you least knew about. These alone times with Coran always started with a story of the paladins before you joined the team and ended with stories of Altea and King Alfor. You always saw the sadness that gleamed in his eyes whenever he spoke about the past. You often wondered if he regretted ever leaving King Alfor behind during the fall of Altea. You _wondered_ , never asked. You didn’t think you were close enough to him to ask such personal questions, regardless of that, you still enjoyed his company whenever it was just the two of you in the castle. 

The walk back to the medical bay was supposed to be the same ten minutes it took to get to the bridge from there, yet you found yourself walking at a brisk pace, your hands growing clammy, and the sound of your heart louder than your footsteps that trampled the ground. Now that the paladins were gone, realization had hit you about this entire situation. Shiro’s hand was on your head. Shiro _moved_! Isn’t that what it means? Shiro hasn’t moved a muscle at all since he’s been in a coma but now… could it be that he woken up?

You were now sprinting down the hall. You turned left, and then right and the medical bay’s door was to your right. You didn’t hesitate to press the square button next to the door and with a beep, it had slid open. You had grown all too familiar with the sight of Shiro laying on his bed, nearly lifeless and pale as a sheet of snow. Watching the door of the medical bay open already had the scene playing within your head like a video on repeat. The smell of antiseptic, the pure white walls and sheets of the bed, and Shiro laying completely still upon it. You knew what to expect, it’s been the same for months, but you still had some hope you would walk into that room and see Shiro on his feet, all well, and smiling softly at you again.

The moment your eyes fell on Shiro’s body on the bed, you were readying to see what you saw for months. You were so used to the same scene that you didn’t realize right away that Shiro was sitting up. His head was slightly down as his long locks of hair was covering his face, the hands on his lap were faced up and open while his hazy eyes bore holes into them.

“Shi…” His name faltered from your voice as your jaw hanged open in shock. You wondered if your eyes were lying to you, or if this was a false image created by your deepest desires. After so many months of waiting and waiting for Shiro to wake up, has the day finally arrived?

Even though your voice wavered when you spoke his name, it was enough to catch his attention. Your eyes met with his dark gray eyes for what felt like years since you last seen them. No longer were they shut behind his eyelids and shrouded from the world. No longer were his ears residing in silence of his surroundings. No longer was he held a prisoner of sleep, a friend of Hypnos, and a lingerer between life and death, instead he greeted the light and now he was in the realm of the conscious.

He was alive.

You brought both hands to cover your gasping mouth as you shakily stepped into the medical bay. Your sight became hazy because of the tears that were building in your eyes. Shiro stared at you like he was surprised at your presence, he didn’t expect to see you walk through those doors, heat had spread throughout his chest at the sight of you and slowly, you saw a weak smile forming on his lips. Truly, he was happy to see you. 

“____?” My, how long it’s been since you heard his voice. It was slightly hoarse because of his unused vocals and every syllable of your name caused his throat to sting. Regardless, he spoke your name again. The softening of his eyes as he gazed at you made your tears roll down your cheeks while your body shook with every sob that came from you. You staggered deeper within the medical bay, almost tripping over your suddenly heavy feet. It was like you reduced to a small child at the early beginnings of walking.

“Shiro…!” You cried, throwing yourself at his chest when you had reached his bed. He let out a painful grunt because all the air from his lungs were knocked out of him when you landed on him. You knew you shouldn’t have thrown yourself at him, but you couldn’t control yourself. It’s been so long since you heard his voice, since you’ve seen his smile, since you felt his arms around your shoulders.

You heard something like a chuckle echoing within his chest followed by the sound of his warm voice. “Is it too late to keep the promise…?”

You were already shaking your head against his chest, staining his shirt with your tears. You laughed along with him which felt like ages since you did. “No… not at all. Welcome back, Shiro…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Destiny
> 
> The reason why I took a long break right after I had my other hiatus was cause honestly, after season 8, I kind of lost all motivation to write Just Until and I was really on the verge of discontinuing it. But then, I thought of all the other works that I read and loved that unfortunately got discontinued and it honestly made me sad. I didn't want you guys to feel that way because I know a lot of people love Just Until. So I spent most of my time really rewatching Voltron and trying to rekindle my love for it. Of course, I only watched up to season 6 because season 7 and 8 are dead to me and as I was rewatching it, I became really excited for what's in store for Just Until. Especially, since I have most of the story planned out.
> 
> Well, that's pretty much it. I apologize to everyone who waited this long for me to update and I thank everyone who still decided to stay with this story and those who have left the story because I was taking too long to update, I don't blame ya. I haven't updated since December and I know how annoying it is to wait for a fic to update lol.
> 
> Weekly updates won't be a thing anymore but I'll try and update frequently now. Thank you guys!! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Here's a little background information on the soulmate mark: 
> 
> Every human is born with a soulmate mark. Once they touch a person, the mark will bloom and also It must be skin to skin contact for the mark to bloom. Touching your soulmate will release feelings of love and the desire to be with your soulmate. More info about it will be shown in the story later on!
> 
> THANK YOU FOR READING GUYS <3


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